Media Release: Federal Labor plays catch up on M1 funding

The Turnbull Government welcomes the commitment by federal Labor to match our $1 billion funding commitment to the M1 for two upgrades, between Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill and Varsity Lakes to Tugun.

After equivocating recently on whether they would commit funding to the M1 federal Labor has now recognised the need for these critical upgrades.

This road has consistently been funded on a 50:50 basis under both LNP and Labor federal governments and it is instructive that federal Labor has recognised that it is appropriate for the M1 to continue to be funded on this basis.

While the Palaszczuk Government has previously chosen to play politics on the funding split for this road, their radio silence on federal Labor’s announcement of a 50:50 split suggests that they too have recognised that this funding split is fair and that Queenslanders who use the M1 every day simply want them to get on with the job and start delivering these vital upgrades.

In addition to our recent $1 billion announcement, the Turnbull Government has previously committed funding to two projects on the M1 which are scheduled to commence construction in coming weeks: $115 million for the M1 Pacific Motorway – Gateway Merge and $110 million for the M1 Pacific Motorway – Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes project. Our commitment to the Eight Miles Plains to Daisy Hill and Varsity Lakes to Tugun projects is designed to allow work on these projects to commence once the two earlier projects are completed in 2020.