Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli has voiced her concern and dismay that urgently required and critical infrastructure has again been put on the backburner by the Federal Government.
Sunshine Coast Direct Rail future stages and the Mooloolah River Interchange both face uncertainty after they were removed from Infrastructure Australia’s federal funding priority list.
Mayor Natoli said their removal was extremely concerning as both projects were needed now to cope with the traffic congestion the Sunshine Coast had been experiencing for many years.
“Our region is experiencing extraordinary population growth which is placing significant pressure on our transport infrastructure,” Mayor Natoli said.
“The strain is becoming a serious issue for our community and visitors.”
Mayor Natoli said both the Queensland Government and Sunshine Coast Council had identified the Direct Sunshine Coast rail line as region-shaping infrastructure.
“It is urgently required to help Sunshine Coast maintain our liveability and reduce our current high levels of car dependence,” she said.
“The Sunshine Coast has the second highest rate of daily private vehicle trips of any regional area in Australia because we don’t have an adequate public transport system.
“We need to get people out of cars and onto public transport to reduce traffic congestion, reduce emissions and increase productivity and better connect people as they try to get to their workplaces, to the shops and to services.
“This project will enable residents and visitors to choose public transport over private vehicle travel and will accelerate the delivery of more than 3,000 affordable and diverse homes around new rail stations over the coming decade.
“Direct Sunshine Coast from Caloundra to Maroochydore has been on the table for decades. It is needed now. It cannot be put off any longer.
“The planning will take years, let alone the construction.
“Removing it from the infrastructure priority list puts our residents and our region behind the eightball once again.
“We have 370,000 people calling the Sunshine Coast home and in less than 20 years we’ll have another 200,000 people here.
“We need a safe, modern public transport system because our roads will be choked.
“Public transport infrastructure underpins our future and is vital to ensure the Sunshine Coast remains liveable.”
Mayor Natoli said the Mooloolah River Interchange – the intersection of Kawana Way, Sunshine Motorway and Brisbane Road – had also been considered critical decades ago.
“This key junction connects several major centres in the region and is a vital link to other transport projects, including Direct Sunshine Coast,” Mayor Natoli said.
“The interchange is already under enormous pressure.
“It is a serious traffic bottleneck and has become more so since the opening of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in 2017.
“In December 2017, the Building Queensland pipeline stated the existing infrastructure was ‘congested and lacks capacity to accommodate forecast travel demand’.
“Infrastructure Australia evaluated the Mooloolah River Interchange business case in 2022.
“As a result, the interchange was upgraded on the Infrastructure Priority List to an investment-ready proposal in recognition of the nationally significant problem of capacity and safety at the interchange.
“The failure of this important part of the region’s road network has impacts the lives of Sunshine Coast residents every day.
“Anyone using it has experienced the huge delays, not to mention the danger trying to swap lanes within short distances to reach your exit.
“The inadequacy of this element of the road network – both now and into the future – has become even more pronounced.”
Mayor Natoli said she would strongly advocate to Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King to fund the projects.
“If the projects have dropped off the list because they have been funded, that is great,” she said.
“But let’s not forget the infrastructure we so desperately need on the Sunshine Coast and the people here deserve.
“Every day projects are delayed, the cost to deliver them escalates and that, in turn, could further delay them.
“That is something our community will not accept.
“Our Council needs Australian Government assistance to help build the infrastructure we need now and for the future, as well as providing appropriate funding for Council to deliver the services our community so desperately needs.
“Council is willing and able to play a crucial role in continuing to advance major region-shaping infrastructure that attracts investment and creates jobs across our region.
“However, we cannot do this without Australian Government assistance.”
“It is up to the Australian Government to make the funding decisions and I am calling on them to fund priority projects on the Sunshine Coast.”
