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Council refutes State Govt plans
Council rejects transport corridor duplication
Sunshine Coast Council has rejected Queensland Government plans for the future duplication of a transport corridor within environmentally sensitive areas adjacent to the Pumicestone Passage.
As part of long-term planning for the growth of the region, the Department of Transport and Main Roads is investigating options for creating a north-south arterial corridor running to the east of the existing Bruce Highway.
At last week’s council meeting a report was endorsed expressing the council’s opposition to the corridor generally extending from Sunshine Coast Council’s southern boundary to Bells Creek Road, through the area identified as a future green belt between Caboolture and the Sunshine Coast.
This area has been identified as an inter-urban break within the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2017, and extends through an area generally referred to as Halls Creek.
The council report shows that the government’s plan introduces additional impact and future development pressure within the inter-urban break.
Keeping the inter-urban break intact formed only part of council’s argument against the government’s plans.
Council planners have determined that the future supply of transport corridors – within the envisaged network provided by duplicated rail lines, six-lane
Bruce Highway, four-lane Steve Irwin Way and the Bells Creek arterial road connecting through to Caloundra – provides more than enough capacity for the expected increase in transportation requirements.
Their calculations suggest that the capacity of the future system will only be 65% utilised in 2051, meaning that the proposed north-south arterial corridor is not required.
The council’s report also highlights that improving the heavy rail system, connected through to the coast via the long-awaited CAMCOS (Caboolture to Maroochydore Corridor Study) linkage, is a preferred long-term option to reliance on cars.
“An affordable and sustainable future transport plan must rely more heavily on rail as the highest order mass transit option,” the report said.
Council also acknowledged that technology – specifically autonomous vehicles – will change the way transportation happens, providing improvements with traffic flow, travel times and safety.
Division 1 councillor and council’s transport portfolio representative Rick Baberowski called for the state to fix the three existing corridors first.
“Imagine the massive scale of development that would be potentially opened up if a new highway was to be built. I believe the only two mechanisms they have would be a combination of tolls and development contributions." Cr Baberowski said.
