FEDERAL candidates for the seats of Forde and Wright have responded to calls for the next Australian government to fund upgrades to the Mount Lindesay Highway and investigate Salisbury to Beaudesert passenger rail.
RACQ's head of public policy Rebecca Michael said morning peak speeds on the Mount Lindesay Highway had dropped to 28km/h and called on candidates to commit to road widening projects from Browns Plains to Jimboomba.
Katter's Australia Party candidate for the seat of Wright Matt Tomlinson told the Jimboomba Times that the state government was not in a position to provide the funding needed to keep up with population pressures.
"The Mount Lindesay Highway is an absolute death trap. With the amount of housing developments coming into the area there is no way the roads can handle the extra traffic being put onto it," he said.
"If I was in control I would work from the Browns Plains end all the way back...we need double lanes all the way through to Beaudesert."
On passenger rail, Mr Tomlinson said he was in favour of elevated railway tracks to mitigate against weather events.
"I've looked at the mapping of the proposed railway and a lot of it floods," he said.
"If you get it above the flood waters you won't have any interruptions or maintenance issues."
Mr Tomlinson said these were issues he could fight for if the minor party wins the balance of power.
"We are expecting to have four or five candidates elected (in the lower house) this year and we could make a huge difference not just for Queensland but across Australia," he said.
LNP member for Forde Bert van Manen said the federal government had already committed $30 million towards the Mount Lindesay Highway and it was up to the state government to match it to get the ball rolling on projects.
"This is a state government responsibility and the federal government is stepping in and providing funding for projects," he said.
Queensland's Transport Minister Mark Bailey called on the federal government to increase their contribution to $75 million.
Labor candidate for Forde Des Hardman said a Labor federal government would work with the Queensland government on priority funding projects.
"We will invest up to $30 million in priority projects in this corridor," he said.
"Only Labor is investing in Cross River Rail in this election. The project will allow faster, more frequent trains on the Gold Coast line, taking pressure off the M1.
"With Cross River Rail in place there is increased potential to look at such line extensions."
Logan MP Linus Power said he was disappointed not to see any new funding for the Mount Lindesay Highway in the Morrison government's budget.
"I see extraordinary funding for infrastructure projects in Melbourne and Sydney but no (new) funding for the Mount Lindesay Highway," he said.
"There is $700 million being spent on funding 80 per cent of a rail line from Melbourne to Geelong, but not much interest in the Mount Lindesay Highway corridor."
Independent candidate for Wright Innes Larkin said it was time for the federal government to step in and fund projects which should have been completed ten years ago.
"The job of the federal government is to have a clear plan for everyone to follow," he said.
"Sadly we haven't had that and we are seeing the results of that in our electorate."
Logan Country Safe City chairman David Kenny said he did not trust either the state or federal government to deliver the leadership required for the West Logan corridor.
"The politicians are blow in and blow out. We get a few dollars here and there and don't have a proper plan," he said.
"It needs a fair dinkum upgrade from Park Ridge South to Jimboomba and Jimboomba to Beaudesert."
The federal election will be held on May 18.
