CAMERON Leafe – LNP candidate for Capalaba – has accused the state government and Capalaba MP Don Brown of producing zero congestion-busting road projects for his suburb.
“Capalaba residents need their lifestyle protected,” Mr Leafe said.
“We have five major roads leaving and entering the area and we have all seen how bad traffic on these roads gets.”
Mr Brown fired back, saying the Eastern Busway – which runs to Capalaba – was back on the agenda in the South East Queensland Regional Plan after it was ignored by the previous LNP government.
“We as government to have committed to going it alone with Cross River Rail, which will deliver 14 minute shorter trips on the Cleveland line (and) peak services every six minutes which will take thousands of cars off Redlands roads,” he said.
“If the federal LNP government paid their fair share for Cross River Rail, there would be more funding freed up for Redland roads.”
Mr Brown said he was proud to have taken the fight to Brisbane City Council to ensure it took responsibility for Rickertt Road although he knew more needed to be done.
“With an election just around the corner, Cameron needs to stop whinging and start outlining LNP solutions,” he said.
“Because at this stage, the LNP intends to scrap Cross River Rail and send that fund to Townsville in the form of a new coal-fired power station.
“Infrastructure for Redlands will go backwards under an LNP government.
Mr Leafe said Main Roads Department documents showed there had been no developments to reduce Capalaba traffic woes over the past three years, with only routine maintenance and cosmetic work undertaken.
“There is nothing substantial planned in the upcoming three years either,” he said.
“The only congestion-busting work currently being undertaken has been funded by the BCC and federal government, namely fixing the Rickertt Road debacle.”
Mr Leafe said Capalaba needed an MP that could apply pressure to fix problems and work with other levels of government.
“It is our only way forward,” he said. “It is clear to commuters ... that the current situation is nowhere near good enough.”
Mr Brown said it was hard to work out exactly what Mr Leafe proposed to bust.