Margaret May (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Thursday the federal Minister for Transport and Regional Services and I announced final Australian government approvals for the four-lane Tugun bypass. This means that the Tugun bypass can finally be built. The environmental impact statement and the major development plan for the Gold Coast airport were both approved and that clears the way for the Tugun bypass to be built through the airport land.

The Tugun bypass itself will use some of the most sophisticated construction techniques possible and be subject to the most stringent environmental conditions of any major road project in Australia. I think it is important to have that on the record. The environmental concerns of people in the area were certainly very much in the forefront of this and were blocking the construction of the Tugun bypass at one stage, so it is very important for the southern Gold Coast to know that those environmental concerns have been met and the approvals have been given.

The Tugun bypass itself will eliminate serious congestion on the southern Gold Coast, particularly between Currumbin and Tweed Heads, and it will allow for a future rail link through to the airport. Work can start on the bypass just about immediately. In fact, we expect those first sods to be turned in April or May this year. We understand construction of buildings to house the staff has already commenced. I want to assure people on the southern Gold Coast that this piece of infrastructure will go ahead. It will become the new southern gateway for motorists entering the Gold Coast and further strengthen the Gold Coast airport’s viability.

There has been a comprehensive public consultation process throughout the whole time that this Tugun bypass project has been on the table. The Australian government has listened very carefully to the views of all parties to ensure that important social, economic and environmental issues were all fully addressed during that assessment process. Part of the project includes a road within a tunnel over which the airport runway will be extended. The planning also includes extension of the Gold Coast railway from Robina to the airport, but the timing of that project is a matter for the Queensland government. I can only say here today that I hope the Queensland government move that project ahead very quickly too. We see the Gold Coast airport as being the central hub of transport on the southern Gold Coast and to complete that we need the rail link to be completed.

The bypass will improve cross-border connectivity and, like no other project, unite those 500,000 people of the region into a self-sustaining economic unit where fast, efficient transport links are certainly the key to the economic growth of the area. I commend the Australian government for their commitment of $120 million to the project and assure the southern Gold Coast residents that it will be built. (Time expired)