Gary Hardgrave (Moreton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to outline to the House the latest sightings of a complete lack of concern, interest and, indeed, understanding of the key issue within the electorate of Moreton, and that is the way our area has been put under pressure by decades of failed investment, or no investment, in infrastructure. Our area is very much at the epicentre of Queensland’s transport industry. The Labor Party’s ignorance about these issues is just breathtaking. Two recent sightings are as follows. The Labor Party recently sponsored the member for Batman to visit and have a look. He reconfirmed that the Brisbane urban corridor is the preferred route for trucks. He reconfirmed that the upgrading of the Ipswich Motorway from Granard Road, Rocklea West is the only option that they see for trucks.

Cameron Thompson (Blair, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Shame.

Gary Hardgrave (Moreton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Blair understands very clearly that, unless the $2.3 billion Goodna bypass that the Howard government is committed to, which will connect the trucks from the Warrego and Cunningham Highways to the Logan Motorway, the Gateway Motorway and around to the Port of Brisbane, goes ahead at a fast pace—and this will be immediately stopped by a Labor government—my area is going to be forever the area for trucks.

Labor have yet again confirmed that the Brisbane urban corridor, the Kessels Road corridor, is the route for trucks. Not only that, the Labor Party have said to the local media that they want to put an underpass at the Kessels Road and Mains Road intersection to—and I quote their press release—‘make it easier for trucks’. They are trying to use the parlous excuse that this may stop diesel particulates spewing out at traffic lights at the top of the Kessels and Mains Road hill. But, of course, if the trucks are not there, the diesel particulates will not be either.

On top of this, we have a sighting just this week by Mr K Boyne. Mr Boyne is a letter writer from Yeronga. Mr Boyne is a well-known Labor Party apparatchik. His wife is a former full-time union official—she is probably still getting paid by the union as well. She works as a Labor Party staffer. Mr Boyne is softening up local residents around Yeronga, Fairfield, Yeerongpilly and Annerley with the notion that we need trucks—we need to get more trucks. He is softening us up for more trucks and saying that, unless we have trucks, we will have to travel further to get the things we want. Mr Boyne and the Labor Party may want more trucks into my area but the Liberal Party does not.

Our plan is very simple. We want a truck no-go zone built around residential parts, particularly centring in on suburbs like Sunnybank. We want to make sure that truck paths are built—and they are; the Logan Motorway and the Goodna bypass. We want local residents to use local roads—not interstate trucks. For us the choice is quite simple. Why the Labor Party put trucks ahead of local people is something for which I think they are going to have to account to the people of Moreton. (Time expired)