18.10.2006

THE Main Roads Department has caused new alarm over land resumptions between Federal and Coles Creek by ruling out the most popular proposed Bruce Highway route, because it conflicts with the Traveston Crossing dam.

And, to the north, the Government’s plans for an eastern bypass of Gympie have split Cooloola Shire Council, with a majority of councillors yesterday rejecting all possible routes in the currently proposed eastern corridor.

In a day of dramatic developments, it was revealed that Main Roads has quietly rejected what had been the most popular proposed route in the southern section of the highway project, one following the existing route.

Cooran resident Suzanne Germain discovered the unannounced change, which she says was carried out without any public notification or explanation.

The change apparently reflects State Government determination to proceed with the Traveston Crossing dam, which would inundate the existing highway route.

The move effectively by-passes public opinion on the southern route options. Although studies for the dam are incomplete and Commonwealth approval is far from certain, Federal funds are already committed for the highway.

“When I rang the MRD to find out why (the existing route) was gone, I was told they had taken that option out of the study area because it is no longer being studied. “They said they are working on the assumption that the dam is going to go ahead,” Ms Germain told The Gympie Times. State Member for Gympie David Gibson accused the Government of “underhanded tactics” by removing maps and other documents from websites without consultation.

“This was the favoured option by the local community and we have not been consulted at all,” he said.

Mr Gibson called on Transport Minister Paul Lucas to “come clean” on Government intentions.

Meanwhile Cooloola Shire Council yesterday called for the MRD to shift its eastern bypass routes further east, to use more public land and to minimise private property resumptions.

Crs Ron Owen and Greig Nissen clashed on the issue, with Cr Owen advocating a shift east and Cr Nissen calling for the matter to be settled as soon as possible so people could “get on with their lives”.

Cr Owen said people were interested in closure and prompt compensation, but still would prefer not to have to move at all, if a more suitable route existed.

With Gympie suburbs spreading east, “by the time it happens it will cut the city in half,” he told yesterday’s council meeting.

Cr Nissen said he had attended public meetings at Kybong and Traveston and the message from people in the current ‘of interest’ area” was that they wanted to get on with their lives and did not want to go through another two years of uncertainty.