Bypass blasted by Bauple locals

JAY FIELDING

A GROUP of Bauple residents is ramping up its campaign against the design of the Bruce Highway bypass at Tiaro, saying their town has been dudded.

Bauple Progress Association bypass subcommittee media contact Marianne Pink said changes to the impact corridor for the $336 million bypass would send the community back half a century.

Ms Pink said community representatives had lobbied the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Fraser Coast Regional Council, several ministers and submitted petitions to the state government in an effort to be heard.

“TMR, state and local representatives have repeatedly insisted that it is a simple matter of road safety, dismissing the community’s objections and fears for their personal safety, their economy, and their isolation during natural disasters like the three floods this year, when alternative route options exist,” she said.

“The consultation period is about to end, but the draft TMR design does not meet the required commitments of safety and flood mitigation which was the stated aim of the bypass.

“This is due to last-minute changes for Bauple with no thought or investigation.”

Ms Pink said the proposed plan presented a major safety concern for Bauple.

“TMR’s Tiaro Bypass proposal for Bauple does not make sense,” she said.

Ms Pink said the group supported the bypass concept but opposed the proposed Bauple Service Road that will be needed when the bypass is built.

“The road as proposed will cross through an ecologically sensitive wet area and three flood zones,” she said.

“We will be trapped in the event of a natural disaster such as flood or fire.”

She said the service road would be built where the Bruce Highway originally ran before it was moved due to flooding.

The new service road would be resilient against a one-in-20-year flood, while the current highway access had a one-in-100-year resiliency.

“There have been three floods already in 2022 of which two exceeded major levels,” Ms Pink said.

“This will directly impact our economy and community safety and will send Bauple back 50 years.”

Ms Pink said the bypass would see four of Bauple’s five direct access points to the Bruce Highway severed and instead funnel residents through Tiaro.

“Why are we not being given direct access to the highway when the option exists?”

Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders said TMR staff regularly met with residents and had set up a consultative body regarding the bypass.

“It’s about time we just got on with it and got the job done,” Mr Saunders said.

“We know that when you bypass communities there will always be issues.”

“But there will also be funding there to help the community.” he said.

“Anyone who uses that road knows that this project needs to be done.”