Lucas assures Sunshine Coast residents of proper road planning

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Paul Lucas today reassured Sunshine Coast motorists that roads connecting the new hospital would withstand flooding.

Mr Lucas said claims from Liberal Member for Kawana Steve Dickson that the roads would be flood-prone were simply scare-mongering.

“I want to assure motorists that Main Roads is planning and designing these road connections with the proper flood-proofing,” Mr Lucas said.

“The roads connecting the hospital will be constructed to withstand a 1 in 50 year flood event and still be passable in a 1 in 100 year flood event.”

Mr Lucas said the planned works weren’t just about connecting the new hospital but would include a new motorway standard road and the CAMCOS rail link.

Queensland Health advises the hospital will be built to withstand a 1 in 500 year flood event, meeting State Planning Policy requirements.

As a condition of purchase, Queensland Health also required landowner Stocklands to do remedial landfill work on site to ensure the land can withstand a 1 in 100 year flood event. Stocklands is currently finishing that landfill work on site to meet local council planning requirements.

Mr Lucas also said claims by Caloundra City Councillor Andrew Champion that council officers had to sign confidentiality agreements to access planning information from Main Roads were untrue.

“Far from Cr Champion’s claims being correct, the opposite is true,” Mr Lucas said.

“Caloundra City Council officers have been consulted during the planning of the project – including regarding flooding issues.

“Main Roads tells me that Caloundra City Council actually asked consultants SKM and the department to sign a confidentiality agreement to view its land use data for their Local Growth Management Strategy – information vital to road planning.”