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

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And represent them well.

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

I do seek to represent them very strongly. We know that infrastructure is a very major issue in the western suburbs of Brisbane. We must provide long-term solutions, not just bandaid solutions—and from all accounts Kenmore bypass would be a very short-term, bandaid solution.

There are several options that need to be canvassed and need to be explored to find a long-term and sustainable solution. This would include a green bridge, a light rail option and, in particular, an outer western ring road. The concept of an outer western ring road is one that would take heavy freight traffic from the Warrego Highway along the Brisbane Valley across the front of the Wivenhoe Dam. The freight traffic that is increasingly using the Centenary Highway and the Western Freeway would be diverted along this outer western ring road. This freight traffic is increasingly dominating our local roads as it seeks to head north. It is important that the Queensland state government look to a study of the western ring road to be built as part of the overall long-term infrastructure solution to South-East Queensland’s economic and population growth.

We hear so much about infrastructure from Labor both at the state level and at the federal level, but, quite clearly, the rhetoric does not match the reality. In April the state government of Queensland announced that it would scrap the initial plans that it had to explore this concept of an outer western ring road. I want to place on the record very strongly and very clearly (1) that I have great reservations about the Kenmore Bypass and (2) that I very strongly support the idea that funding be made available for exploring the capacity of an outer western ring road to be built as something of a long-term visionary plan for the people of Ryan. (Time expired)