Southport budget snub sparks fury
SOUTHPORT is the worst off electorate from State Budget funding after riding high as the best in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games – and the local MP is furious.
Opposition MP and Member for Southport Rob Molhoek, after reading all relevant papers delivered on the State Budget when it was handed down on Tuesday, says he is stunned by a lack of announcements for the Gold Coast’s CBD.
“We had nearly $600 million spent on roads in the last five years, and rightly so with access needed to the new hospital,” Mr Molhoek said.
“If you costed development and government spending (for Southport over the five years), it would be in excess of $6 billion. There is not one cent in any document for any of my schools.
“There is nothing for roads. The dredging money (for the Broadwater) is further north of my electorate. There’s absolutely nothing in there.
“There is nothing for (Southport) courthouse. under enormous stress.”
Mr Molhoek said he had realised funding would drop off after the Games but was disappointed key transport links to the CBD had failed to receive funding.
“I knew it had to slow down. the It’s I’m just disappointed there’s nothing in there for SouthportNerang Rd,” he said.
He said he would approach the Government to determine what it had planned for the former Commonwealth Games Athletes Village at Parklands.
About $3 million from a $29.4 million total spend would be used in the next 12 months to develop the 9ha health and knowledge precinct.
After checking Coast funding from the Budget, Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates accused the Government of playing catchup by announcing infrastructure funding that had been on the table for 13 years.
“Labor’s announced upgrade of the M1 including $70 million for an extra lane from Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes is a rehashed version of a 13-year-old agreement, an agreement that Labor is delivering 13 years too late,” Ms Bates said.
“In 2007 Paul Lucas was given matching funding from the Howard Government to eight-lane the M1 from Nerang to Tugun.
“I know this because I was there, and only now on the eve of a federal election has State Labor been railroaded by both the Turnbull Government and the Federal Opposition into finally fixing this crucial piece of infrastructure.”
Ms Bates described funding upgrades to Gold CoastSpringbrook Rd, Nerang-Murwillumbah Rd and Beechmont Rd as evidence of the government playing catch-up.
“This funding is part of the joint federal-state NDRRA (Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements) funding to fix roads which collapsed 18 months ago,” she said. “This proves the Palaszczuk Labor Government are responsible for delaying the much-needed upgrades that Hinterland residents are crying out for.”
She said the Government had failed to provide funding for Mudgeeraba schools and police services, and ignored calls for anti-hooning upgrades at the intersection of Pine Creek and Nerang-Murwillumbah roads.