Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I spoke here on a much-needed infrastructure upgrade in my electorate—to the dangerous Lindum Station crossing intersection, which I'm currently running a petition to fix. For years residents have called for a solution while it's been kicked around like a political football. Some people have asked why I'm bothering, when fixes and funding have been promised many times before, all amounting to nothing.

There is another major thoroughfare in my electorate that suffered from a lack of funding for years as well. Motorists were clamouring for a solution. Some local representatives put it in the too-hard basket, just as they have with the Lindum crossing. They said it couldn't be done. Well, at the last election I fought for and won federal funding to go towards an upgrade of the Green Camp Road between Manly Road and Rickertt Road at Wakerley. This federal commitment was matched by the Brisbane City Council. Thanks to the efforts of Doboy Ward Councillor Ryan Murphy, council also committed funding to upgrade the intersection of Green Camp and Tilley Road. Council then sought further federal funding to upgrade the entire Green Camp Road corridor. I was happy to help secure this funding, bringing the total federal commitment to $10 million alongside council's $18 million investment.

Once complete, the corridor upgrade will improve safety for road users, improve the reliability of travel times, provide improved facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, and help cater for existing and future traffic demands. Green Camp Road will be widened between Manly Road and Rickett Road, helping ease congestion at peak times. Council are planning and carrying out the project, and over the last year council has carried out geotechnical investigations and land resumptions. Council is now finalising the detailed design for the project, and has invited construction tenders so that a contractor can be appointed. It is expected that the successful contractor will be announced in the next few months. Construction is on track to start after the Commonwealth Games in mid-2018 and to be completed in mid-2019, weather and construction conditions permitting. Local residents, businesses and the broader community will be kept updated with more information as the project progresses. I will be providing more details on the road closures and construction impacts that can be expected during works, once they're available. Locals can call the Brisbane City Council community hotline on 1800 884 681 for the latest on the upgrade.

I couldn't possibly have delivered a massive undertaking like this project on my own. Thanks must go to the council—Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and Councillors Adrian Schrinner and Ryan Murphy—as well as my federal colleagues the Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities, the Hon. Paul Fletcher, and the member for Bowman, my good friend Mr Andrew Laming. The Commonwealth and council have come together to make this upgrade a reality. It's only a matter of time before this happens for the Lindum crossing as well. That is my current priority and I intend to follow through, once again, for my constituents.