Coomera Connector budget blowout fears
THE Coomera Connector’s second stage is tipped to be more challenging than the first between Nerang and Coomera, and will cost billions of dollars because it passes through wetlands.
Northern-based Gold Coast councillor Mark Hammel is calling on the state government to release more details, predicting the route for the six-lane highway will impact thousands of residents.
Mr Hammel said much of the road would need to be elevated due to wetlands, and predicted the cost would push upwards of the $5.4bn bill for Cross River Rail, the state’s biggest transport project.
“We know some sections of land out there don’t have a solid foundation. These are all aspects of the project that will make this road incredibly expensive – we are looking at billions and billions and billions of dollars,” Mr Hammel said.
“Anyone that thinks Cross River Rail was expensive hasn’t seen anything yet – the Coomera Connector will blow Cross River Rail out of the water.”
A report in the Bulletin last month revealed the cost of property resumptions for the Connector’s first stage would soon top more than $100m, with at least 24 properties bought as part of the $2bn build between Nerang and Coomera.
Mr Hammel said he was aware the state government had also bought blocks of land further north through Gilberton, Stapylton and Alberton.
“On the topic of resumption of land and purchasing of land, it is vitally important that owners are given clarity about when these conversations will take place,” he said.
“It would not be fair if landowners are left in the dark, not knowing what the future of their properties are for years on end.
“It is my understanding that the state government has gazetted a route and any landowner that will be affected … will be communicated with.”
Transport Department mapping shows the Connector route tracks to the right edge of the northern growth suburbs east of the M1, before crossing west to Loganholme.
“Based on the feedback I am getting from landowners in affected areas, it is obvious that work is getting done on the route for the next stages, but the level of detail around property resumptions sizes is not there yet,” Mr Hammel said.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey, in a response, said: “Mark Hammel’s rookie road ruminating are as factual as the Star Wars character Luke Skywalker played by his namesake”.
“There is an obvious need for the second M1 to be extended north of Coomera and eventually to be connected to the Logan Motorway interchange to take pressure off the M1,” Mr Bailey said.
“Extensive planning work is already under way by transport experts about how that should be done. We should let them do their work without wild speculation by a firsttime councillor misusing his force in a desperate Darth Vader-like bid for a headline.”