GRASP IDEAS TO END MESS
THE Gold Coast reverted to its default yesterday.
Thousands of motorists were stuck in gridlock traffic on the M1 in two crashes stretching a collective 28km and, true to form, politicians put on the record player and played the blame game.
The Pacific Motorway is on life support. At pressure points, the number of cars using the road each day is well beyond capacity, yet still politicians refuse to reach for the defibrillator.
As this newspaper has trumpeted previously, all three levels of government have poured billions into attracting visitors to the Gold Coast. Much is made of crafting a city image and targeting the best markets for foreign visitors. Still more resources go into ensuring the visitors that are wooed here enjoy every moment, in the hope they will share their experiences to family and friends or, better still, scream it to thousands more on social media.
It also can have a detrimental effect if that conversation online is more about the struggle to get here on a bleeding road network.
Tourism and Events Queensland data shows that more than two million of our tourists drive here from Brisbane every year, with still more making their way up the M1 from NSW. That number continues to grow year-on-year and while the occupants are welcome, their vehicles are the elephant in the room that all levels of government have lagged in addressing.
Public transport improvements, including the well-used light rail, have undoubtedly made some impact on the north-south strip but do little to change the fact that more cars are arriving and more roads are not.
The Gold Coast is the fastest-growing city in the country but is essentially cut off from Brisbane because of congestion. The economy is losing millions of dollars in productivity as fast as commuters and tourists are losing their sanity.
We are badly in need of ideas, solutions and a commitment from both state and federal governments to address the whole sorry mess. Not just for the Gold Coast, not just for Queensland, but for Australia — and it must be funded accordingly.
Tourism Minister Steve Ciobo’s push for a 1000km/h Hyperloop that would travel between the Gold Coast and Brisbane in 10 minutes is the type of idea that must be embraced. The city is growing and more people than ever want to get from A to B efficiently and safely.
If the Gold Coast is to be taken seriously as a world player it needs to think big — and that starts with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
The best cities are built on the back of innovative transport and technology. Think New York, Paris, Singapore, London and Tokyo — visionaries who attract the best people, businesses and investment.
Yes, Mr Ciobo’s push for a Hyperloop is ambitious. It is also refreshing.
Fixing the south-east’s congestion will cost billions of dollars regardless of the solution. State and federal politicians owe it to the Gold Coast to implement the best measure for the region and ensure motorists are not stuck in traffic because of a truck jackknifing and loose beer bottles years from now.