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23 March 2022
No fix for our Elm St nightmare BY ALEX PURCELL COOROY’S most notorious intersection continues to cause angst for motorists, with no fix coming soon. For years, accidents, increasing congestion and daily near-misses have become the norm at the intersection of Elm and Myall Streets. But despite early planning for a future upgrade, still no funding has been allocated to complete the detailed design. A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson told the Cooroy Rag that they have carried out early planning for the future upgrade of this intersection on Elm Street and these works will be considered in the future. “Funding has not been allocated to complete the detailed design or construction. “These works will be considered in the future, after the assessment and funding of competing priorities. “If further funding is committed, we will reengage and consult with the community.” Community consultation by TMR was carried out between November 2018 and February 2019. During this phase, TMR found roundabouts at the intersection were favoured by the community, but TMR identified traffic signals as its preferred solution. “Traffic signals improve the safety of all road users and reduce congestion during peak periods. They can also be delivered at a lower cost and have a lesser impact on properties.”
A former Main Roads worker and Cooroy resident, who asked not to be named, was at the community consultation meeting and said the community “quite clearly said they would rather have nothing than traffic lights”. “But this isn’t a roundabout versus traffic lights issue but rather a bypass issue," the resident said. “The core issue here is we are the only hinterland town on the Sunshine Coast that has traffic from the highway to the Coast coming through it and that is a huge factor. “A bypass was on TMR’s future planning decades ago but essentially it got canned because of all the valuable properties in the area. “Regardless of whether the proposal considered is a roundabout or traffic signals, it would involve significant expenditure and due to the extent of that expenditure, Cooroy would be committed forever to having highway traffic coming through town. “Imagine in 10 years with the population growth in SEQ, all those recreational spots in Noosa will be even busier and traffic to get to them is going to come through Cooroy on the existing route. It will flood us.” Member for Nicklin Robert Skelton said after recently speaking to members of the Cooroy community regarding traffic, he would be supporting a bypass. “I do not support traffic lights nor are roundabouts a long-term solution. I will be supporting a bypass and advocating that to the Minister. “I do not know what the
Motorists will be forced to continue to run the gauntlet at the intersection of Elm and Myall streets for a few more years it seems.
“I do not support traffic lights nor are roundabouts a long-term solution. I will be supporting a bypass and advocating that to the Minister." - Robert Skelton, Nicklin MP time frame on that will be but it is the long-term solution that satisfies all public interests. “That may not be satisfactory to some but that is the way forward that I will advocate. The time frame will depend on funding.” Cooroy Chamber of Commerce President Chris Bell said the time was going to come sooner rather than later for a major rethink around Cooroy’s infrastructure.
“What is going to bring this to a head, finally, is if the GemLife decision makes it to Court or if Woolworths does come to town. Then there is going to have to be a rethink around infrastructure in Cooroy," Mr Bell said. “And if it's not GemLife or Woolies, there will be another behind them because of the success of the Hinterland.” For long-term Cooroy resident Shelley Boesten,
congestion at the intersection is “getting worse”. “We drive to our business, The Mattress Company in Yandina every day and the congestion at the intersection is getting worse. “It's very bad at school drop off and pick up for 15 minutes so to avoid getting stuck at the intersection in the afternoons we do the rat run up Tulip Street past the high school and then down Maple Street to the clock roundabout. “This keeps you moving but then it adds to the traffic in the middle of town and that bridge is so narrow, that when you get two trucks on there, you hold your breath.
With the number of buses that go across that bridge, it's a worry.” Cooroy Police Sergeant Mal Scott said congestion at the intersection is “a real problem” particularly during school pick up and drop off times and Noosa Council Acting CEO, Larry Sengstock, said that Council is aware of the community's concern about the intersection and would be supportive of TMR investigating a solution. TMR said the safety of all road users is their priority and they will continue to consider all of the community's concerns and feedback.
Cooroy Rag, 23 March 2022 - Page
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