TOLL ADDS UP ON M2

GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate claims motorists would “happily pay a toll’’ and has called on the State Government to consider a privatepublic partnership to build a duplicate M1.

Cr Tate said a toll road option for a second motorway, dubbed the “Coomera Connector’’, would prevent delays caused by arguments between the State and Federal governments. “Motorists would then have a simple choice – remain in the M1 bottleneck ... or pay a toll to be on the M2,’’ he said.

GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate has called on the Queensland Government to consider a private-public partnership to build a duplicate M1.

Cr Tate said a toll road option for a second motorway, dubbed the “Coomera Connector’’, would prevent delays by circumventing arguments between the State and Federal governments.

“The future of the M2 may be a combination of public funding and private equity. The private equity partner would recover their investment through a toll,” he said.

“Motorists would then have a simple choice – remain in the M1 bottleneck ... or pay a toll to be on the M2 and then be in Brisbane or beyond in less than 50 minutes.”

Cr Tate’s comments came after a briefing yesterday with the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

“I expect many motorists, especially those pulling freight for a living, would happily pay a toll,” he said.

But Queensland Main Roads minister Mark Bailey said a toll road did not always mean faster construction.

“The business case and design will follow the gazettal of the corridor by Labor and that will establish a final figure to then determine a funding agreement across levels of government to build the new road,” he said.

“Based on the current growth trajectory of the northern Gold Coast, it’s clear the Coomera Connector will become an important part of the Coast’s road network.”

In September the minister announced the government was ready to sign off on gazettal of the final section of land required for the new road.

“After three wasted years of progress being blocked under the Newman LNP government, the Palaszczuk Labor government is securing the corridor with the necessary planning,’’ he said yesterday.

“We’ve gazetted two corridors ... and will gazette the third and final section of land at its northern end in 2019.”

Member for Coomera Michael Crandon said he would not support a tollway.

“It is not what we envisage in the Opposition office. Our position is that if we are successful in the 2020 election, we will build the Coomera Connector, the second M1,” he said.

But LNP Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens said he would support a toll road option for the M1 alternative.

“We need a second motorway, whichever way we are going to get it,” he said.