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To: Queensland Minister for Roads

No second M1 (or M2) motorway

Dear Minister,
Please cancel the planned motorway parallel to the M1 and completely rule it out in the future.

Why is this important?

The Queensland government has recently announced that it plans to build a four-to-six lane freeway, from Nerang to Eagleby, parallel to the M1 at a cost of many millions. Initially, presumably for purely political reasons, they propose to start the work only through Helensvale and Monterey Keys. Their projected date of commencement was initially stated as July of this year. They have also talked of diverting trucks and other heavy vehicles to this new freeway to take the pressure off the M1. The Queensland government doesn’t even have the money to build new highways west of the MI, in the rapidly growing Logan area.

Never mind that there are koalas living in the bushland that forms this corridor through Helensvale. Koalas are becoming rarer and rarer, especially after the terrible bush fires. Never mind that it would only remove 5 to 10 minutes of travel time for commuters between the Gold Coast and Brisbane and shift a bottleneck a bit further north. Never mind the fact that “Build it and they will come” might not apply to web sites but definitely applies to highways. This unfunded stupidity is beyond mere inanity. It belongs in the world of the surrealist insane.

Naturally, it would be better for the environment and commuters to improve public transport rather than build roads to nowhere. However, if new roads need to be built they should be planned with a long term vision in mind rather than short term political expediency. The excessive immigration introduced to boost the economy has resulted in strains on infrastructure in various parts of the nation. That said, the commute on the M1 is not one of them. All that needs to be done is to upgrade the various exits (on ramps and off ramps) to reduce queuing traffic.

In the event of an accident there are already parallel roads to the M1 for diversions. If, despite environmental concerns, massive highway works were warranted, surely it would be better to build two and three storey freeways as are evident in the US and other countries rather than destroying more and more natural land.

Will Australia (especially QLD) become subject to proper governance rather than politically expedient decisions before it really cements itself amongst the rank of Third World nations?

Updates

2021-07-29 18:20:21 +1000

50 signatures reached

2020-10-14 18:33:42 +1100

25 signatures reached

2020-10-14 00:29:44 +1100

10 signatures reached

2019-11-19 20:11:44 +1100

Still waiting for supporters who care more about wild life and clean air than more pollution, noise and roads to nowhere.