MAYOR KATIE Milne said she has grave concerns for Tweed road congestion in the near future, as the impacts of an extra 36,500 people moving into the shire and several developments are completed including 11,000 people at Kings Forest west of Casuarina.
“The project application for this highly contentious urban development was approved in 2013 after a long losing battle to protect the koala corridor,” Mayor Milne said.
“A new battle is about to unfold. There is only one way in and one way out and all traffic will empty onto Tweed Coast Road 1km north of Coles.
“There is already peak hour traffic congestion at the Tweed Coast/Cudgen Road intersection. This is a snapshot of what’s ahead.”
Mayor Milne said to access the Gold Coast, north Casuarina and Salt residents are currently faced with a choice of backtracking south to the Coles traffic lights or travelling north through Kingscliff side streets.
“South-bound traffic travels along the Tweed Coast Road to Cabarita, and then west through a koala protection zone,” she said.
“The increased traffic generated by such a large residential development will cause Gold Coast-style chaos between Cabarita and Cudgen and put further pressure on the already limited beachside parking opportunities between Kingscliff and Casuarina.
“Kings Forest is deemed a state significant development and therefore warrants an entry/exit point onto a state controlled road.
“If elected, I will advocate an investigation into the construction of a direct link to the highway west of Kings Forest. I believe that this would significantly reduce the amount of traffic on Tweed Coast Road.
“The State Liberal and Labor Governments approved this development, but the Greens are committed to reducing the impacts on our Tweed lifestyle.
Pro-development and middle of the road candidates will deliver the traffic frustration and anger that now often characterises driver mentality on the Gold Coast strip.”
The 36,500 new residents planned for the Tweed Shire include 12,000 at Cobaki Lakes, 11,000 at Kings Forest, 3,500 at Bilambil Rise, 4,000 at Area E Terranora and 6,000 at Dunloe Park west of Pottsville.
“Let’s learn from the mistakes of successive conservative Councils on the Gold Coast,” said Mayor Milne.
“A community-minded and environmentally conscious Council would stage developments so that they are only approved once infrastructure is in place to cope with the traffic increase. I hope to be a member of a newly-elected progressive team that delivers sensible development, not traffic gridlock.”
This is a brand new here so we at National Chiropractor are hopeful that Gold Coast traffic won’t be coming to the Tweeds. It is already a pain going to and from work because of the current traffic, hopefully the government can sort this out before it even happens.