The Mount Lindesay Highway upgrade, a passenger rail link between Salisbury and Beaudesert and the rollout of the NBN have been pushed by Logan mayor-elect Luke Smith in a meeting with Federal Local Government Minister Paul Fletcher.
Cr Smith called on federal support for Logan City Council’s push to see the state government fast-track the Mt Lindesay Highway upgrade.
He also discussed widening the M1 through Logan.
“The projects we discussed are very much the key priorities for our city, the kind of projects that will deliver the transport and technological connections we need to take Logan City forward,” Cr Smith said.
The mayor-elect said he was glad to be able to brief Mr Fletcher on the challenges faced in the area.
“They appear as challenges now but with the right level of support, prioritising these projects can open up region-shaping opportunities, not just for Logan City but for south east Queensland too.”
Cr Smith said widening the M1 through Logan was one of the top priorities.
“The cost of traffic congestion is set to increase from $1.91 billion (2011) to $9.2 billion (2031) between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast over the next 15 years,” he said.
“The bottleneck on the M1 at Logan is the largest contributor to that congestion today so we need the federal and state governments to agree on an approach to fix the M1 as soon as possible.”
Cr Smith also sought support from Mr Fletcher to prioritise the rollout of the NBN to key commercial and industrial precincts in the city of Logan.
“I am pleased that we have started to see the NBN arrive in parts of the city like Jimboomba and Logan Village but we are still hearing concerns about the level of internet services in places like Forestdale, Mundoolun and Boronia Heights,” he said.
“Council is seeking more details on the timing and street locations that will be covered by the NBN rollout and we have asked the federal government to support our calls for the prioritisation of the NBN rollout into key commercial and industrial areas where it has the potential to bring new business and jobs to our city.”
Cr Smith said he was determined to keep the pressure on the government to recognise the significant infrastructure needs in Logan City.
“This meeting was the first of many, and we will be holding discussions with additional key ministers in Canberra in April to continue these important conversations,” he said.
“We need to ensure the City of Logan is prioritised as the federal government considers its longer-term infrastructure program.”
