Both LNP candidate for Noosa Clare Stewart and Independent Noosa MP Sandy Bolton have called attention to the Labor government’s failure to deliver promised funding for the crucial Tewantin bypass in the budget delivered this month.
“This project has been promised and talked about for more than 20 years,” Cr Stewart said.
“The Palaszczuk/Miles Labor Government has broken their promise to Noosa residents, and I intend to hold them to account.”
State budget papers reveal the government has cut $700,000 from the 2024/25 financial year that was promised to the project in last year’s budget, and delayed funding for vital planning works into the 26/27 and 27/28 financial years.
“In what is a big-spending budget, it appears that Noosa has been left to pay for Labor’s constant cost blow-outs and, as a consequence, the promise of funding from the Member for Noosa has been broken,” Cr Stewart said.
“These broken promises, cuts and delays mean planning works won’t be completed until at least 2028.
“When funding for this project was announced by Labor in 2020, the then-Transport Minister, Mark Bailey, said the planning work was vital to determining costs for the entire project.
“If we are to sustainably manage future population growth and increased tourism visitation, we simply cannot afford vital projects like this to be stalled and delayed for another two years.
“As I speak with locals, the Tewantin Bypass is consistently raised as a key concern.
“In my term as Mayor of Noosa, council delivered the round-about as stage one of the Tewantin Bypass, and I know how important this project is to our community.
Last week as part of a summing up of the state government budget, MsBolton focused attention on the omission of funding for stage two of the Tewantin Bypass by the Labor Government budget.
After the completion of the Tewantin Bypass stage one, stage two needed construction funding by the next budget to address the congestion, however, the detailed design funding required to make that happen is nowhere to be seen, she said.
“Regardless of the reasons for the delays that have led to this, whether on State’s or Noosa Council’s end, we have reiterated that the Minister must fast-track and fund the requirements to get it back on track,” Ms Bolton said.
The Queensland Government committed $9.5 million to build a new roundabout at the Cooroy-Noosa Road and Beckmans Road intersection, Stage 1 of the Tewantin Bypass in 2020, which has since been completed.
In August 2022 at the near completion of the roundabout Ms Bolton praised the work, saying “as everyone is aware through the years of advocacy, this intersection was a well-documented accident hotspot”.
“I congratulate Noosa Council in managing the build, and the Queensland Government, Minister Bailey and Department of Transport and Main Roads for the funding and support.
“Now all efforts are on securing funding for the remaining stages, with the business case expected to be finalised before end of year.”
At the time Ms Stewart said work would focus on the northern side of Cooroy-Noosa Road and converting the old section of Beckmans Road into a service road access for nearby residents.
