LNP leader does not need to search far for M1 culprit

WHEN looking for who is responsible for M1 traffic congestion, LNP leader Deb Frecklington needs to look in the mirror.

Ms Frecklington was Assistant Minister to Campbell Newman and Tim Nicholls for the three years the LNP had a record majority when not a single new dollar was spent on the M1.

This halting of M1 investment and planning by the LNP at a time of strong population growth when they held every Gold Coast seat is an appalling record the LNP leader should apologise for instead of trying to sheet blame off to others.

The truth is two major M1 upgrades worth $350 million are under way at Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes and at the Gateway Merge, the Coomera Interchange at Exit 54 was started and completed by Labor and planning the LNP failed to commence is advancing at key interchanges at Yatala North and South, Pimpama, Ormeau and Oxenford where a $25 million upgrade will start next year.

The Palaszczuk Labor Government has had $206 million on the table to six lane the M1 to the border to get a third upgrade underway since November last year.

In the Federal Budget, the Turnbull Government generously showered the NSW M1 at Coffs Harbour with 80 per cent federal funding but once again the Gold Coast got Malcolm’s crumbs at only 50 per cent for the exact same road here in Queensland.

The Gold Coast would do much better on federal infrastructure funding if the Queensland LNP stood up for Queensland by uniting with the Palaszczuk Labor Government to demand a fair share for the M1 from Canberra just the same as NSW gets.

Instead, they weakly grovel to their LNP masters in Canberra instead of standing up for the Gold Coast and for Queensland.

Do we need a second M1 between the Logan Motorway and the northern Gold Coast? Of course we do but no thanks to Ms Frecklington and her LNP who stopped progress on it when in government and stopped it being included in the SEQ Regional Plan and Gold Coast City Plan.

It’s Labor that got planning recommenced and we have had two sections gazetted over the last year between Nerang to Coomera and Coomera to Stapylton.

Ms Frecklington, however, treats Gold Coast residents for mugs and weak economic credentials when she suggests a second M1 can be built for $250 million. The actual cost estimate is 10 times that at $2.4 billion and there is much more to do to get it shovel ready because of her LNP holding it up for three years.

Weak leadership will never translate to getting things done.

MARK BAILEY, TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS MINISTER