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

Last week I met with residents from The Landing, a beautiful part of Moggill, in the western suburbs of Brisbane and in the Ryan electorate. As I always say in this parliament, I have the great privilege of representing them and other Ryan residents. These residents from The Landing were concerned that the proposed Goodna bypass, also known as the northern option, would involve more than the current federal government’s two-bridge proposal and would, in fact, see the construction of four bridges across the Brisbane River.

I reassured them in no uncertain terms that, as the federal member for Ryan, I would not support any federal and state government partnership involving the Goodna bypass that involved anything other than the current preferred federal government option of only a two-bridge proposal across the Brisbane River—and across Priors Pocket specifically. I reassured them that my position was unchanged. I reminded them, as they already knew, that I went to the last federal election on this basis. I reassured them that I would only support a two-bridge proposal across the Brisbane River and that those two bridges would go across towards the Priors Pocket part of the western suburbs. I reassured them that I would not support any construction proposal that involved any on- or off-ramp.

On another major concern, I reassured them that there would be no federal government proposal to construct a bridge across the Brisbane River to replace the Moggill ferry, a very popular ferry that runs from the south side of the river to my Ryan electorate side of the river. They were pleased that my position was unchanged, and I am delighted to say to them in the parliament, as I assured them I would, that my position will remain unchanged and that I will continue to lobby the federal government to ensure that the northern bypass option, also known as the Goodna bypass, will have only have two bridges.

I want to take this opportunity in the parliament to reassure not only the many residents of The Landing, but also the surrounding Ryan electorate residents of Bellbowrie, Moggill, Kenmore and Chapel Hill, that I as their local member would never countenance a federal government proposal that involved the construction of four bridges across the Brisbane River in the waters surrounding the Ryan electorate. The proposal is one that I went to the last election on and will go to the next election on. John and Lorraine Hemming of The Landing, who hosted me, and their fellow residents will be pleased to know that in the parliament I am rock solid on this position, as I was in the last election. (Time expired)