Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In March this year, I spoke in this place on the need for the Queensland state government to upgrade the Linkfield Road overpass at Bald Hills near the Carseldine Bunnings. It's an overpass in the southern end of my electorate that really is a bit of a death trap and it is surely a bottleneck. Every morning and every afternoon the traffic piles up on the Linkfield Road overpass over Gympie Road. It is a state government road; it's not on the Bruce Highway. I highlighted this last year, in 2017, as well, and year after year there's nothing in the state budget to address this vital infrastructure. The locals know of the congestion on Linkfield Road, and I join with the federal member for Dickson, the Hon. Peter Dutton, to talk about Linkfield Road because it links both of our electorates. We started a petition, which thousands of people have now signed. We've also written to the state transport minister, Mark Bailey—nothing. There has been no reply at all, which is really disappointing. I thought that this year in the state budget they might possibly do something about it, but, no, there is nothing.

The state government is very focused on the inner city, on infrastructure there, but when it comes to the northern suburbs of Brisbane they're missing in action. This road infrastructure has been highlighted by the state government's creation of other problems, too, as the Save our Carseldine campaign has highlighted. They're planning to put 2,000 to 3,000 more people into high-rise units with the Carseldine state government project. Beams Road is already at a standstill. The state members for Aspley and Sandgate campaigned to fix Beams Road. Once again, there was nothing on that. I think they promised an overpass there. There was nothing on that and nothing for Linkfield Road, so I'm addressing it again. I'm asking the state Labor government to sort this out and fix it. It's desperately needed.

This is a common occurrence. Earlier this year, on the Bruce Highway, the federal member for Dickson and I, with the then Prime Minister, also announced funding of $120 million to upgrade the on- and off-ramps at Griffin and Murrumba Downs. This is another intersection on the Bruce Highway that is affecting the people in Griffin and Murrumba Downs in the Moreton Bay region. All we required was a 20 per cent contribution from the state government—$30 million. We've got $120 million on the table. There is nothing there yet either. I believe that it's just not good enough. I'm saying to people in my electorate that I'll continue to fight for it. It really is a big issue.

Some of the people in my electorate have been highlighting this to me. Mike Maniaty agreed that this intersection is the last piece in the Telegraph Road-Linkfield Road puzzle. Trent Dixon says that there must be a lot of brooms in the state government, as all they do is sweep stuff. Michael Van Oorschot from Bald Hills asks: 'When will this be done—when someone dies?' Melissa Kerman tagged the Premier, as well as the minister and the local member for Aspley, into a Facebook post and said, 'What's happening?'—nothing; there has been no reply. Kevin Dickinson asked why the overpass wasn't upgraded before Telegraph Road, and the answer is that Telegraph Road is a Brisbane City Council road, which the Brisbane City Council has been funding. Bert Beijnon agrees that the intersection is a death trap and the traffic flow is growing by the day. Bert also mentioned the Boundary Road overpass, which the federal government upgraded earlier at North Lakes and Narangba, and he said how good that is. It's really going well there. Mayur thanked me for pushing this intersection. She identified the problem outside of the state government precinct, once again, in the Dorville Road, Carseldine, area. Jennifer Lanzon-Sawtell said she was scared someone will have a serious accident on that Linkfield Road overpass unless something is done.

The Queensland state government need to recognise these two vital projects, particularly Linkfield Road. I think they've announced a study about the other road. We just need the 20 per cent; we don't need another study. They just need to build it. The residents of Aspley, Bracken Ridge, Bald Hills, Carseldine, Bridgeman Downs and Griffin should not be penalised just because the state government have infrastructure tunnel vision on the inner city and not on the northern suburbs of Brisbane. I call on the Queensland Premier, the state minister and the member for Aspley to fund these two vital infrastructure projects.