Residents fighting to downscale a major new road planned for Caloundra from four lanes to two have made a breakthrough in their campaign.
Value Caloundra group member Prue Oswin said both the State Government and council had confirmed they were now exploring a two-lane option for the Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade (CTCU).
This comes after residents were earlier told the four-lane project to create a new entry to the CBD was a done deal and would only be tweaked through some community input.
Ms Oswin, an active transport engineer, said both levels of government had now stated they would explore both a four-lane and two-lane option.
“It’s been confirmed that they will investigate both options – council have written to me and said they will explore a two-way option – TMR have said the same thing,” she told Sunshine Coast News.
However when approached by SCN, the Department of Transport and Main Roads and the council remained tight-lipped on whether they would reduce sections of the new road network.
The community action group Value Caloundra is now doubling down on its #2lanesnot4 campaign as the State Government launched a new stakeholders’ interest group.
The $37.8 million Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade (CTCU) will provide a new connection from Nicklin Way, north of the Caloundra Road roundabout, to the city centre.
It involves widening Oval Avenue and Third Avenue from two to four traffic lanes and connecting Oval Avenue with Omrah Avenue.
TMR and SCC are currently reviewing concept designs and calling tenders for detailed design, which is expected to be finalised late 2023.
Construction is scheduled to start in late 2023/early 2024, weather and construction conditions permitting.
With early planning for the new road connection complete, community members interested in shaping the design were invited to join a stakeholder interest group.
Selected group members will have the opportunity to inform the detailed design which the government said would ensure a diverse range of feedback was considered.
While Ms Oswin welcomed the new public engagement opportunity she said there were still some big questions to be answered about the size of the road.
She said four lanes would create busy, wide networks, repelling cyclists and walkers and bringing more traffic into the city.
“You can’t build your way out of congestion,” she said.
“The two lane option is a sensible, interim option to increase traffic capacity, if you build a really large road you are going to get more people driving.
“We have to transition to a more diversified transport network and this is not the way to do it.”
She called for a more balanced approach to improve traffic capacity while increasing the level of active transport.
“Putting massive roads means driving is really attractive and we’ll get a whole lot more cars and a whole lot more congestion somewhere else,” she said.
“Cities that have spent a lot of money building really big roads have ended up with lower house prices and poorer standards of living and you just end up with more traffic.”
Value Caloundra includes organisations like Caloundra Residents Association, Caloundra RSL, Friends of Ben Bennett and Wildlife Queensland.
Other issues raised by the organisation are that the new corridor will physically split the town, bring major traffic into an urban village and impact a precious bush reserve, namely Ben Bennett Bushland Park.
Steer clear of ‘green space’
Ms Oswin slammed elements of the CTCU, calling the proposal to slice through nature as “backwards and nonsensical”.
“The proposal to put a big road through Bicentennial Park which is central to our park seems really backwards in this day and age,” she said.
“I heard they were looking at certainly reconsidering the size of the road in that section – but we’d be hoping that they drop it all together.”
While the group has chosen not to challenge the alignment through Ben Bennett Bushland Park, Ms Oswin had some recommendations for the design on that section.
“The main thing about Ben Bennett Park is to make the road a skinny and slow road and two lanes with raised crossings on it,” she said.
“That will to keep the connectivity between the retirement villages and attractors for elderly people and the park, which is a key theme for the Caloundra master plan.
“It would also preserve the (established walking route) for high school kids.”
She explained how the project would heavily impact on the walkability of Caloundra, which has a walk score of 95.
“Caloundra is incredibly set up for walking, we are the envy of many places in the world in terms of how walkable our neighborhoods are,” she said.
“So taking green space away in an area where you want to improve active transport (like cycling and walking) makes no sense.”
TMR/council response
A TMR spokesperson said the State Government and Sunshine Coast Council would consider “all community feedback about the Caloundra Transport Corridor as part of our detailed design process.”
“The project team will consider feedback as part of a multi-criteria assessment, which includes traffic, flood, and stormwater modelling, environmental, and cultural heritage investigations,” they said.
“Community feedback about impacts in Ben Bennett Bushland Park and Bicentennial Park are a key design consideration, and will be balanced with the importance of safety, connectivity, and community integration for Caloundra.”
The first meeting of the stakeholder interest group will be organised once members are determined. Outcomes for the stakeholder interest group will be announced in coming weeks.
“The frequency and timing of stakeholder interest group meetings will be determined at the first meeting. Meetings will likely be held every three months for 12 to 15 months,” the spokesperson said.
