They are called priority development areas, but this Queensland election the residents in rapidly developed communities halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast feel anything but a priority.
Queensland’s major parties promise to build one million new homes if elected but those plans come with a warning from two of Queensland’s newest communities in “priority development areas” (PDAs) — don’t plan new cities with only one road in and one road out.
New cities of Yarrabilba and Flagstone, south of Logan City, have experienced rapid growth and once complete, are expected to be home to 50,000 and 150,000 respectively.
Residents hampered by only one road access are calling on leaders to prevent the problem from occurring again.
Yarrabilba’s population is now home to more than 12,690 people as of June 2023.
The main road in and out often causes a traffic headache for residents, causing concerns about travelling to and from work, school drop off, and during bushfires and floods.
A second exit for Yarrabilba is currently under construction, and design on the connection to Waterford-Tamborine Road near Dollarbird Drive is near completion, but residents say it has taken too long.
Liz says traffic is a constant worry for residents. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Lucy Stone)
Local resident Liz, who did not want to use her surname, moved to the priority development area in mid-2017 and said, since then, congestion had worsened.
“There are days I’ve had to call in sick to work or unable to attend because a crash is that bad, I’m not going to get there until midday because they’re still trying to clear,” she said.
The constant worry of getting caught in traffic intensified when her mother was recently in hospital before she died.
“I actually had to go and stay close to the hospital because I was petrified that I wouldn’t be able to get to her in time,” Liz said.
The road in and out, Yarrabilba Drive also connects residents to shops, amenities, parks and medical services. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Antonia O’Flaherty)
She believed the next elected government should make it mandatory for greenfield sites to have multiple road exits before people can move in.
Calls to tie roads to population growth
Wendy Buchanan owns a family day care in Yarrabilba where she has lived since 2016.
She recalls a time when there was an accident on nearby Waterford-Tamborine Road and Camp Cable Road, and it took her an hour and 20 minutes to drive 2 kilometres home.
Ms Buchanan said the lack of infrastructure was frustrating.
“I think it should reach perhaps a certain limit of the amount of people living here to warrant more road access,” she said.
The local candidate for the LNP, Matthew Owens, has recently distributed corflutes saying “Yarrabilba needs a second exit”.
The local Labor MP, Linus Power, said he backed residents’ calls for a second exit and would continue to push for the current construction to be completed on time.
The Greater Flagstone and Yarrabilba priority development areas, south of Logan. (ABC: Sharon Gordon)
Twenty minutes drive to the west of Yarrabilba is Flagstone, estimated to be home to more than 7,530 people.
An additional road access into Greater Flagstone is planned for New Beith Road, but a section of the road is awaiting approval from the federal environment department because it is located within koala habitat.
Amid delays to the New Beith Road project, a third access is being planned for Mountain Ridge Road Connection, including a new rail overpass bridge and a new two-lane connector road.
Danielle Van Veen says the suburb has grown rapidly in the four years she has lived there. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Lucy Stone)
Danielle van Veen runs a family day care centre in Flagstone.
She said seemingly never-ending roadworks around Flagstone created regular traffic bottlenecks.
“It’s a worry when it comes to floods, fires, to how we’re all going to safely get out as we get bigger and bigger,” she said.
“I’m afraid to go anywhere in the afternoon after 3pm because getting home is insane.”
Full development of Flagstone is expected to take 30 to 40 years. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Antonia O’Flaherty)
Ms van Veen said it was frustrating that despite involvement from the developers and local, state and federal government, it seemed unclear as to who was responsible for delivering the second road and why it had taken so long.
Ms van Veen said if Flagstone had been fully developed before people moved in, she feared it would not have been affordable for the majority of people who lived there.
Mitch Arrowsmith has lived in Flagstone for seven years and travels to Brisbane and the Gold Coast for work.
For Mr Arrowsmith, the issue went beyond having one road in and out.
“Fixing the road is just one thing, it’s the fact that we’ve all got to drive somewhere,” he said.
“For the amount of people who live out there, there are no jobs.
“That’s why everyone is on the road, they all have to drive to work, they could ease congestion by having local jobs for people.”
By the time of completion, Greater Flagstone is set to be home to 150,000 people. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Antonia O’Flaherty)
Billions in pipeline for Flagstone road access
A statement from an LNP spokeswoman, responding to concerns from Yarrabilba and Flagstone residents, said the LNP was committed to working with the local government.
“[The LNP] has committed $2 billion for an infrastructure fund that is designed to deliver critical infrastructure for new housing developments including roads,” she said.
“We have already had some discussions with Logan City Council about opportunities and look forward to working with them on new roads and other infrastructure needed for growing communities.”
Jordan MP Charis Mullen said she had long campaigned for a second exit for Flagstone, and the Miles government was investing more than $87 million in delivering several infrastructure projects to improve access and traffic concerns.
It includes $25 million for the delivery of New Beith Road and $13.2 million for the delivery of Mountain Ridge Road Connection.
