Tugun Bypass
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Tugun Bypass
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| Queensland Roads | |
| Length | 7km |
| General direction | North-South |
| From | Currumbin |
| To | Tweed Heads |
| Places passed | Tugun |
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The Tugun Bypass is seven kilometres 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 be officially called the "Pacific Motorway" when the Tugun bypass opened on 1 June 2008. The Tugun bypass has 2 vehicle lanes in each direction with provision for widening to 3 lanes in the future.
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[edit] Funding
The project is jointly funded by the Queensland Government 78% and the Australian Government 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. 
[edit] Border marker
On the Tugun bypass, there is a big "eye-catching and unique" Border marker that lookes like a very tall and bent metal structure that sits in the median on the border of QLD and NSW border.
[edit] Completion and progress
The Tugun Bypass was supposed to be opened to traffic on June 2, 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 June 3, 2008.
[edit] The Controversy
On Sunday 18th May 2008, days from the rivalry between the two states, 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.. "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." as she quoted. The $543 million it cost to build the controversial bypass, the Federal Government contributed $120 million and Queensland paid the rest. About 4km of the 7km 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 May 6, 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 installments 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.
[edit] Latest news about the Tugun bypass
- 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
- Tugun Bypass border marker competition – and the winner is…
[edit] External links
- Queensland Government - Tugun Bypass Project
- Minister for Local Government - Tugun bypass cuts travel times
- Australian Government - Tugun Bypass approval to end motorists' woes
- Queensland Government, Office of the Premier - Tugun Bypass get final tick of approval
- AbiGroup, Tugun Bypass
- Border marker design unveiled
- Tugun on track for early finish
- Courier Mail - Anna Bligh refuses to pay Tugun Bypass tax bill
- The Gold Coast Bulletin - Bligh puts the skids under Bypass bill
[edit] References
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