City’s future being choked by M1 jams
BUSINESS leaders say M1 traffic snarl-ups are costing jobs on the northern Gold Coast.
Secretary of the Gold Coast North Chamber of Commerce Gary Mays said those trying to operate a business in the booming suburbs of Coomera, Pimpama, Ormeau and Helensvale are at breaking point because of dealing with M1 traffic delays on a daily basis.
The State Government had committed $5 million to a transport planning study on the ‘Coomera Connector’, a duplicate road from Staplyton to Nerang.
However, Mr Mays said he wanted the work “to begin yesterday.”
“The M1 is the issue and everyone is saying the same thing, traffic is the most commonly talked about problem on the Gold Coast.
“Essentially everyone is sick of the blame game and announcements and just want to get roads as fast as possible.”
Mr Mays said the State Government study – which is set to conclude by 2022 – was far too late.
“The so-called second M1 is probably a really good answer right now, you can’t connect so many growing communities along a single highway,” he said. “The more time spent on the road by workers, the more it is costing the Gold Coast.
“Delivery companies are having to add surcharges, service companies are having to increase their fees.
“Traffic is costing money.
“The lack us of planning all is having a huge impact, I honestly believe it is costing jobs.”
Garry Godfrey, who runs a business consultancy firm, said he spent huge portions of the day on the road commuting between clients.
“I took over half an hour to get off the M1 last week,” Mr Godfrey said.
“The connection is an example of everything that is wrong with this country, we are supposed to have hit a population of 25 million but where is our planning?”
Acting Mayor Donna Gates said there was only a limited amount of work the council could do to ease the congestion.
“Wherever we have upgraded our network, traffic is still backing up and down the M1,” she said
Roads Minister Mark Bailey blamed the lack of planning on the LNP.
“We are doing the planning on the Coomera Connector that wasn’t done by the LNP Government when they were in power,” he said.