With just a few days to go before the Federal Election, Jimboomba Times asked the Forde candidates what they have identified as the number one infrastructure priority in the electorate and how they plan to address it?
Here are their answers in order of their ballot paper appearance:
David Wilks – Independant
My solution is to take the hundreds of millions promised for the M1 ‘fix’ and allocate that instead to develop Beenleigh as a satellite city to Brisbane.
In other words, stop some of that traffic driving past Beenleigh and that instantly eases the M1 congestion issues.
Proof lies in the incredible difference in traffic flow when school holidays arrive.
Some parents, who would otherwise be sitting in the M1 ‘carpark’ elect to take their vacation during school holidays. The result is significantly improved traffic flow for those still driving to or from the city.
Beenleigh central already has zoning that allows for 30 story developments.
The only thing lacking is the will and courage to invest. This is a perfect opportunity for government to drive permanent change.
Redirecting that $200 million into the redevelopment of Beenleigh as a commercial hub will create many short-term construction jobs but, far more importantly, will offer continuing social and economic benefits to the region permanently.
Bert van Manen – LNP
The upgrading the M1 Pacific Motorway.
I am very pleased to announce a re-elected Turnbull Coalition Government will provide $215 million to upgrade the M1 with two important projects.
An investment of $215 million will support two upgrades between Eight Mile Plains and Springwood and Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes, relieving congestion for people travelling to and from work.
Overall, fixing the M1 in my Logan stretch between the Logan and Gateway Motorways is a $1 billion project, so this is a fantastic first step towards resolving daily congestion.
Des Hardman– Labor
What have you identified as the number one infrastructure need in your electorate and how do you plan to meet it?
Roads are a big ticket infrastructure item, but the key infrastructure of the future will be a first-world communications network underpinned by a fibre NBN.
This is necessary to meet the needs of businesses, residents, schools and medical services both now and into the future.
There is no point building something that will be redundant by the time it is finished.
A Labor government will commence rolling out fibre-to-the-premises just as quickly as we can halt the second rate fibre/copper mix currently being delivered.
Annelise Hellberg – Family First
Response not received
Sally Spain – Greens
You can’t create a 21st century economy with a 19th century energy system.
A tax system where the super-wealthy pay their fair share would fund our $57 billion energy infrastructure plan that provides thousands of jobs through to 2030.
We have the space and the right weather for clean energy infrastructure to be key in creating local jobs while also reducing power bills. The Greens have fully costed plans to drive the economic transition to a cleaner job-rich new economy.
But in an electorate as big and as diverse Forde there is no one answer and our Main Roads supporting and Public Transport supporting policies and our intention to ensure first rate, not second rate, NBN to enable fast delivery IT access for all is essential.
Action to protect our fast disappearing Australian bushland is and always will be a priority of the Australian Greens.
Our own unique, but locally diminishing flora and fauna, are tourist asset and a value adding lifestyle/property/recreational and visual amenity. Forde deserves protection, promotion and positive action.
Shaun Spain – Australian Liberty Alliance
Transport and telecommunication. There were several attempts to upgrade and fix M1.
Because they were all done in haste, around election time the improvements were only temporary. We, (the ALA) proud ourselves as wanting to build our political brand as one of long term thinking and planning.
As such we will need to consider a significant solution which combines addressing overpopulation in Logan-South Brisbane corridor and possibly building a second major transport route similar to M1.
Telecommunications has been a chronic problem with significant swaths of Forde still having decades old copper phone infrastructure.
We plan to offer incentives to telecommunication companies to implement high-speed, affordable internet service as a combination of cutting edge Wi-Fi, cable and optic fibre.
