Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I do seek to represent them very strongly. We know that infrastructure is a very major issue in the western suburbs of Brisbane. We must provide long-term solutions, not just bandaid solutions—and from all accounts Kenmore bypass would be a very short-term, bandaid solution.

There are several options that need to be canvassed and need to be explored to find a long-term and sustainable solution. This would include a green bridge, a light rail option and, in particular, an outer western ring road. The concept of an outer western ring road is one that would take heavy freight traffic from the Warrego Highway along the Brisbane Valley across the front of the Wivenhoe Dam. The freight traffic that is increasingly using the Centenary Highway and the Western Freeway would be diverted along this outer western ring road. This freight traffic is increasingly dominating our local roads as it seeks to head north. It is important that the Queensland state government look to a study of the western ring road to be built as part of the overall long-term infrastructure solution to South-East Queensland’s economic and population growth.

We hear so much about infrastructure from Labor both at the state level and at the federal level, but, quite clearly, the rhetoric does not match the reality. In April the state government of Queensland announced that it would scrap the initial plans that it had to explore this concept of an outer western ring road. I want to place on the record very strongly and very clearly (1) that I have great reservations about the Kenmore Bypass and (2) that I very strongly support the idea that funding be made available for exploring the capacity of an outer western ring road to be built as something of a long-term visionary plan for the people of Ryan. (Time expired)

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