Narangba Train Station traffic intersection - a bit of info

Since my election to the Queensland Parliament in 2015, this intersection 👆 has been a sticking point!

I've had countless conversations with community members; with recently retired Division 11 Councillor Darren Grimwade; with Mayor Peter Flannery; and with the Mayor's successor in Division 2, Councillor Mark Booth - about how to ease traffic congestion at this intersection. I've attended community meetings about local road planning and I've talked the ear off representatives from Queensland Rail and the Department of Transport and Main Roads on numerous occasions. I got my friends at the RTBU Qld Branch out last year (pictured) to have a look too.

Because I know this intersection sucks - especially at peak hour! And I know it sucks because cars can't cross when trains are travelling through. Of course, there are times during the day you can drive straight through this intersection and not see another car - but not during the school run or if your job has traditional work hours.

F𝐀𝐂𝐓: All the roads at this intersection are Council roads.

Narangba Rd, Burpengary Rd, Mackie Rd, Mumford Rd, and Main Street are all Council - in this case City of Moreton Bay - roads. This means that the responsibility and the cost (ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡💲💲😔) for maintaining and upgrading these roads lies with Council (and ultimately the City of Moreton Bay ratepayers). It's up to Council to initiate a change in their road infrastructure if they deem it unsuitable or unsustainable for the local population and/or future approved or planned growth.

Council can also ask other levels of government for joint funding (𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦'𝑣𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝐶𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑅𝑜𝑎𝑑) for projects they identify as high priority. As far as I'm aware, Council has never requested $$ from the State to reconfigure the Narangba intersection.

𝐀 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧...

Just to the south of my electorate boundary, when congestion at the Gympie & Todd's Road intersection in Lawnton became unsustainable at the level crossing, the (then) Moreton Bay Regional Council built the Francis Road overpass. That project cost Council around $20m back in 2011/12/13.

Anecdotally, locals tell me they don't see traffic congestion at Todds Rd anymore despite its proximity to shops, cafes, and the local school & kindy. And that’s 12 years on from the overpass being built!

Back to Narangba...

I know the City of Moreton Bay intends to build an overpass in the future so commuters can bypass the level crossing at Narangba. I've heard various ideas over the last 10 years (Oakey Flat Rd, Boundary Rd, New Settlement Rd, Pitt Rd), many of which have upset the community.  I do believe it's important for Council to get the planning right - in relation to where development is expected, where jobs will be created, where recreation precincts exist, and with consideration to State and national road network connections.

I also know the City of Moreton Bay takes pride in keeping rate rises to a minimum and I'm sure locals are thankful for that. Unfortunately, the price of any road construction has compounded greatly in the last few years.

I note that Council’s website states: “𝐴𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜f 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 f𝑜𝑟 𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑏𝑎 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 f𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖f𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑒f𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 f𝑜𝑟... 𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑏𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." This sounds like progress 🤞 and the local petition currently calling for change is an added incentive.

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

There is a million dollars over 2 years committed through the current State budget for work on SEQ level crossings, in line with the SEQ Level Crossing Program. The extract below is from this program and identifies the triggers for high priority treatment of a level crossing. I have requested figures for Narangba to see how they stack up.

You can read more about what the State is doing here 👉 www.tmr.qld.gov.au/about-us/corporate-information/publications/seq-level-crossing-program