Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Tonight I want to speak very loud and clear as the federal member for Ryan and to highlight to the people of Ryan, and particularly to the residents of Chapel Hill, Kenmore, Moggill, Bellbowrie and Pullenvale in the Ryan electorate, the continuing incompetence and shortsightedness of the Queensland state Labor government, the head of that government, Premier Bligh, and in particular the minister for main roads, Mr Paul Lucas. Mr Lucas recently announced that the Queensland state government would seriously investigate the option of the Moggill pocket sub-arterial stage 1 and stage 2, which is also known locally as the Kenmore bypass. The Kenmore bypass is a local issue that has certainly aroused the very strong interest of the constituents of the western suburbs of Brisbane, and those suburbs I mentioned in particular. If the Kenmore bypass were to proceed, the implications for the people of the western suburbs are serious. Many homes and the residents of those suburbs would be detrimentally affected.

The ramifications of this project are that it would effectively slice and dice the suburbs of Bellbowrie, Moggill, Kenmore and Pullenvale. I want to place on the record here in the parliament very strongly and very clearly that, as the federal member for Ryan, I have great reservations—not only about stage 1 but in particular about stage 2 of the Moggill pocket subarterial, because, as sure as day follows night, if stage 1 goes ahead, stage 2 will definitely proceed. As I say, stage 2 will slice through the beautiful suburbs of Bellbowrie, Moggill and Pullenvale and will have an enormous negative impact on the value of many homes and particularly on the lifestyle of many residents in the western suburbs.

Those who live in the western suburbs of Brisbane and the Ryan electorate live in a very special part of Brisbane. We are all too aware of the terrible traffic woe that is Moggill Road. Moggill Road is effectively a car park. We have to ensure that transport solutions are genuinely long term and not just bandaid measures, as the state Labor government in Queensland is proposing. The Kenmore bypass proposal would effectively create a second bottleneck, because traffic would merge onto the Centenary Highway and the Western Freeway. This is certainly no visionary solution, as those who live in the western suburbs of Brisbane and in the Ryan electorate would be all too aware. The Centenary residents would be terribly affected. I also represent the Centenary suburbs of Brisbane: Jindalee, Westlake and Middle Park. All those tens of thousands of residents in the wonderful Ryan electorate, which I have a great honour to represent here in the parliament for a third term, would be terribly affected.

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