New roads top Mayor's wish list

Three “critical road projects” are top the Moreton Bay Region's transport and infrastructure wish list, in time for the Brisbane Olympics.

Mayor Peter Flannery says the Bruce Highway Western Alternative (BHWA), Moreton Connector and a second crossing of the Pine River are “urgently needed”.

He warned the 2032 Brisbane Olympics would be a “Games to forget for many” unless road works start now. According to Mayor Flannery:

• The BHWA is essential before the "Caboolture West development gets under way".
• Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has to “implement” the Moreton Connector, not widen the Bruce Highway “to save properties in Griffin and Murrumba” in the current housing crisis.
• And a second crossing of the North Pine River would “rectify this crippling chokepoint in South East Queensland’s road network”.

“Planning strategically now would deliver the right infrastructure ahead of time, rather than having to retrofit expensive solutions in the future,” the Mayor said.

“In less than 20 years, our region will have the population of Greater Sydney today, an additional 1.6 million residents and we’ll be home to around 75 per cent of Queenslanders.

“Moreton Bay has more growth fronts than any other council with 12 identified areas for significant development. Others might have two or three.

“This region has plans to accommodate that growth. What we need is funding to provide adequate infrastructure that will protect our current lifestyle before that growth arrives.

“We urgently need TMR to announce an alignment for the new BHWA so we can get on with planning for growth in our area and so residents can have peace of mind.

“Currently you’d need a miracle to get through the Bald Hills, Murrumba Downs, North Lakes and Deception Bay interchange without traffic - and when you hit Burpengary, Morayfield and Caboolture.”

The Mayor wants a second river crossing in the planned Gateway Motorway/Bruce Highway Upgrade or proposed Strathpine East Arterial from Dohles Rocks Rd, Kallanger to Carseldine.

He says there are “significant delays and safety risks” around our seven open level crossings and crossings at Mumford and Mackie Rds, Narangba and South Pine Rd, Strathpine should be removed.

Job centres need to be created away from Brisbane CBD, according to the Mayor, who quoted (transport expert) Professor Matthew Burke’s reaction to a North-West Transport Corridor report.

Prof Burke said, at the time: “There are no regional job centres outside Brisbane’s CBD and there aren’t any plans for it”.

Also on the wish list are Improved public transport services between centres, upgraded rail stations and confirmation of a Northern Freight Terminal.

“I’m not saying we have everything right in Moreton Bay, but we can look to larger cities to see where they’ve gone wrong," Mayor Flannery said.

“There are hours a day where people are stuck on highways looking at brake lights. You need people going in the other direction to optimise road usage to counter that peak hour pressure.

“With so many bustling centres across Moreton Bay, we have the chance to be a new kind of city - a polycentric city made up of a web of smaller centres, with high connectivity between commercial and residential precincts.

“It means you can work closer to home, which means less time spent in traffic. That includes consideration for public transport in planning, specifically public transport mode-share.”