Tugun Bypass
Encyclopedia
The Tugun Bypass is 7.5 km long, bypassing through the suburb of Tugun on the Gold Coast
, Australia
. The speed limit on the Tugun bypass is 100 km/h and provides a high-speed motorway link between the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales
, separating interstate vehicles from local traffic. There is a 400-metre tunnel
under the extension to the Gold Coast Airport
runway
. The bypass
connects directly to the Pacific Motorway
between the Stewart Road interchange at Currumbin
and the Tweed Heads Bypass north of Kennedy Drive. It has significantly relieved traffic congestion
on the Gold Coast Highway corridor. The Tugun Bypass carries the M1 designation and is officially called the "Pacific Motorway". The Tugun bypass has two vehicle lanes in each direction, with provision for widening to three lanes in the future.
between Currumbin
and Tweed Heads
. Speculation of the bypass began in the 1960s when the South Coast railway line was closed.
It was not until the Beattie
Government was in office at the end of last century that a firm commitment was made to the bypass. In 2003 Acting Prime Minister John Anderson
and Queensland Transport Minister Steve Bredhauer
announced a 50 per cent joint agreement for the project allowing the project to proceed. In May 2004 the Queensland and New South Wales Governments finally agreed to build the Tugun bypass along the western side of the Gold Coast Airport
, after New South Wales reneged on an agreement signed in 2000. The New South Wales government had previously been reluctant to go ahead with the project, citing environmental and planning reasons.
While New South Wales finally agreed to the plan, it refused to contribute financially to the road. In February 2006, former Premier Peter Beattie announced the Commonwealth Government had given final approval for the road, with construction to start the following month. Mr Beattie said the New South Wales Government imposed additional approval conditions that bumped up the price tag. The tax-payer bill was now expected to exceed $540 million, and sixteen homes in New South Wales would be demolished to make way for the road.
to design and build the road, complete with tunnel and bridges over Hidden Valley. Work on the 350m long tunnel began in early June 2006, using a low headroom hydraulic cutting machine—one of two in the world—to meet the conditions of working so close to protected airspace.
The tunnel was built with provision for a future rail line underneath. The Tugun Bypass was intended to be open to traffic on 2 June 2008 but was delayed until important line marking could be carried out at either end of the new road. Line marking could not be performed at the expected time due to wet weather. The bypass finally opened during the afternoon of 3 June 2008.
22% at a cost of $543 million. Despite over 60% of the road being within New South Wales
, there is no financial contribution towards the road from the Government of New South Wales
.
On Sunday 18 May 2008, three days prior to the commencement of that year's State of Origin
rugby league tournament, the New South Wales State Government hit the Queensland Government with the land tax charges for building part of the Tugun Bypass on NSW land.
Premier Anna Bligh was mailed the land tax invoice of $235,607.40 from the NSW Government. She confirmed that the bill would be ignored by Queensland because they did not contribute to the $543 million project, saying
"I don't expect the Maroons
to give an inch to the New South Wales Blues
this week, and I don't intend to either."
Of the $543 million it cost to build the controversial bypass, the Federal Government contributed $120 million and Queensland paid the rest. About 4 km of the 7 km bypass is over the NSW border.
"Of the total expenditure, $380 million – or 70 per cent – was spent in New South Wales," Ms Bligh said.
The NSW Office of State Revenue issued the bill to the Queensland Government on 6 May, asking for the payment for five years worth of land tax assessments.
The NSW Chief Commissioner of State Revenue Tony Newbury said Queensland could pay in three instalments of $78,535.80 over the next three months.
"Failure to comply with the payment options . . . will result in the imposition of interest and the instalment plan will be cancelled. Interest will be imposed on any outstanding land tax or penalty tax. The current rate is 14.37 per cent per annum calculated daily," he said.
The assessments related to 16 properties in the Tweed Shire bought by the Department of Main Roads from 2001 for the bypass construction.
Treasurer Andrew Fraser said at the time of the acquisition of the 16 properties, the NSW Government provided a transfer duty exemption to Queensland.
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The speed limit on the Tugun bypass is 100 km/h and provides a high-speed motorway link between the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, separating interstate vehicles from local traffic. There is a 400-metre tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
under the extension to the Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Airport, or Coolangatta Airport, is an Australian domestic and international airport on the Gold Coast and is located some south of Brisbane and 25 km south of Surfers Paradise. The entrance to the airport is situated in the suburb of Bilinga on the Gold Coast...
runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
. The bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
connects directly to the Pacific Motorway
Pacific Motorway
The Pacific Motorway is a 100 km long motorway in Australia between Brisbane, Queensland, and the New South Wales-Queensland border at Tweed Heads. The motorway starts at Coronation Drive at Milton in Brisbane, and from 2008 links the Tweed Heads bypass in New South Wales...
between the Stewart Road interchange at Currumbin
Currumbin, Queensland
Currumbin is a suburb in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Currumbin had a population of 2,647.-History:Many of the houses at Currumbin date from the period of its earliest subdivision and the area contains a substantial grouping of fibro beach houses...
and the Tweed Heads Bypass north of Kennedy Drive. It has significantly relieved traffic congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
on the Gold Coast Highway corridor. The Tugun Bypass carries the M1 designation and is officially called the "Pacific Motorway". The Tugun bypass has two vehicle lanes in each direction, with provision for widening to three lanes in the future.
History
For more than 20 years the Gold Coast has grown by 17,000 permanent residents a year, placing enormous pressure on the city's infrastructure requirements, in particular the Gold Coast HighwayGold Coast Highway
The Gold Coast Highway in Queensland, Australia links the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast. 33 km in length, the highway passes through popular tourist resorts such as Southport, Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads and Currumbin...
between Currumbin
Currumbin, Queensland
Currumbin is a suburb in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Currumbin had a population of 2,647.-History:Many of the houses at Currumbin date from the period of its earliest subdivision and the area contains a substantial grouping of fibro beach houses...
and Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads, New South Wales
Tweed Heads is a town located on the Tweed River in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia in Tweed Shire. Tweed Heads is located next to the border with Queensland, adjacent to the "Twin Town" of Coolangatta, a suburb of the Gold Coast...
. Speculation of the bypass began in the 1960s when the South Coast railway line was closed.
It was not until the Beattie
Peter Beattie
Peter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
Government was in office at the end of last century that a firm commitment was made to the bypass. In 2003 Acting Prime Minister John Anderson
John Anderson (Australian politician)
John Duncan Anderson AO is a former Australian politician. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Leader of the rural-based National Party of Australia from July 1999 to July 2005.-Early years:...
and Queensland Transport Minister Steve Bredhauer
Steve Bredhauer
Stephen Dominic "Steve" Bredhauer is a former Australian politician. Born in Brisbane, he was a teacher before entering politics. He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1980. In 1989, he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the member for Cook...
announced a 50 per cent joint agreement for the project allowing the project to proceed. In May 2004 the Queensland and New South Wales Governments finally agreed to build the Tugun bypass along the western side of the Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Airport, or Coolangatta Airport, is an Australian domestic and international airport on the Gold Coast and is located some south of Brisbane and 25 km south of Surfers Paradise. The entrance to the airport is situated in the suburb of Bilinga on the Gold Coast...
, after New South Wales reneged on an agreement signed in 2000. The New South Wales government had previously been reluctant to go ahead with the project, citing environmental and planning reasons.
While New South Wales finally agreed to the plan, it refused to contribute financially to the road. In February 2006, former Premier Peter Beattie announced the Commonwealth Government had given final approval for the road, with construction to start the following month. Mr Beattie said the New South Wales Government imposed additional approval conditions that bumped up the price tag. The tax-payer bill was now expected to exceed $540 million, and sixteen homes in New South Wales would be demolished to make way for the road.
Construction
The Pacific Link Alliance consortium won the contract to work with Main RoadsDepartment of Main Roads (Queensland)
The Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads plans, designs, builds and maintains the 34,000km of Queensland state-controlled roads, under the Minister for Local Government and Main Roads. Warren Pitt is the current Minister for Local Government and Main Roads.The department is...
to design and build the road, complete with tunnel and bridges over Hidden Valley. Work on the 350m long tunnel began in early June 2006, using a low headroom hydraulic cutting machine—one of two in the world—to meet the conditions of working so close to protected airspace.
The tunnel was built with provision for a future rail line underneath. The Tugun Bypass was intended to be open to traffic on 2 June 2008 but was delayed until important line marking could be carried out at either end of the new road. Line marking could not be performed at the expected time due to wet weather. The bypass finally opened during the afternoon of 3 June 2008.
Funding
The project is jointly funded by the Queensland Government 78% and the Australian GovernmentGovernment of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
22% at a cost of $543 million. Despite over 60% of the road being within New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, there is no financial contribution towards the road from the Government of New South Wales
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
.
Border marker
On the Tugun bypass, there is a big "eye-catching and unique" border marker that looks like a very tall and bent metal structure that sits in the median on the border of QLD and NSW.Controversy
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
rugby league tournament, the New South Wales State Government hit the Queensland Government with the land tax charges for building part of the Tugun Bypass on NSW land.
Premier Anna Bligh was mailed the land tax invoice of $235,607.40 from the NSW Government. She confirmed that the bill would be ignored by Queensland because they did not contribute to the $543 million project, saying
"I don't expect the Maroons
Queensland rugby league team
The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...
to give an inch to the New South Wales Blues
New South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
this week, and I don't intend to either."
Of the $543 million it cost to build the controversial bypass, the Federal Government contributed $120 million and Queensland paid the rest. About 4 km of the 7 km bypass is over the NSW border.
"Of the total expenditure, $380 million – or 70 per cent – was spent in New South Wales," Ms Bligh said.
The NSW Office of State Revenue issued the bill to the Queensland Government on 6 May, asking for the payment for five years worth of land tax assessments.
The NSW Chief Commissioner of State Revenue Tony Newbury said Queensland could pay in three instalments of $78,535.80 over the next three months.
"Failure to comply with the payment options . . . will result in the imposition of interest and the instalment plan will be cancelled. Interest will be imposed on any outstanding land tax or penalty tax. The current rate is 14.37 per cent per annum calculated daily," he said.
The assessments related to 16 properties in the Tweed Shire bought by the Department of Main Roads from 2001 for the bypass construction.
Treasurer Andrew Fraser said at the time of the acquisition of the 16 properties, the NSW Government provided a transfer duty exemption to Queensland.
Further reading
- Make road funding a big issue: Bligh
- Bligh announces open day for Tugun Bypass
- Tugun Bypass to shave 20 mins off journey
- Snail may stop $400m project
- Tugun bypass has dream run
- Weekly road conditions