Connector’s disconnection

Anger as access road ditched from plans for Second M1

Residents who will have the Coomera Connector thunder past their backyards face epic drives to access the road themselves after a proposed onramp was dumped from plans.

Concept drawings of the “Second M1” passing Arundel had shown a link road and onramp from Smith St providing easy access to the new highway.

But detailed plans for the area released last Monday showed the link had been cut, with Transport and Main Roads saying modelling showed it was not required – a reason that left Bonney MP Sam O’Connor enraged.

“That is a complete joke. The demand is well and truly there,” he said.

“Labor have blown the budget on the Second M1 and now they’re scaling back the design to cut their costs.

“This removes easy access for most people in Parkwood and Arundel to suburbs along the Coomera Connector.”

Under the plans, despite living so close to the road, Arundel residents wanting to join the Coomera Connector heading northbound would have to drive to the Gold Coast Highway at Arundel.

“It means a 10 to 15-minute drive that people are going to have to take to get on a road they’re being lumped with on their back fences,” Mr O’Connor said. “It takes away any benefit to those communities from this road.”

A TMR spokesperson said the link had not been included in the updated plans because transport modelling showed it would not be needed in the short term.

“The Coomera Connector Stage 1 Central design currently does not have an onramp in this area, as the current traffic modelling and demand shows the connection is not yet required,” the spokesperson said.

“However, it remains an option for a future stage and this is reflected in the Coomera Connector Public Environment Report Masterplan.

“Residents will have alternative points of access to the Coomera Connector via the Gold Coast Highway interchange if travelling northbound. If travelling southbound, they have the option of using the Pacific Motorway (M1).

“The duration it will take to reach the Coomera Connector will vary depending on the road user’s starting point and entry point chosen for the road.”

Mr O’Connor was also sharply critical of the short notice given for public consultation sessions on the design of the section.

“They announced it on

Monday the first session was on Wednesday. It’s a ridiculously short time frame,” he said.

Early works including vegetation clearing are already under way on Stage One Central, which is to run from Helensvale Rd to Smith St.

Construction work for Stage One North, which runs from Coomera to Helensvale Rd, has been ongoing for just over a year.

The complete Stage One from Coomera to Carrara is expected to progressively open to traffic in sections from late next year, and be fully completed by 2027.