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WESTFIELD JUMPS TO ACTION ON COOMERA TOWN CENTRE
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WESTFIELD JUMPS TO ACTION ON COOMERA TOWN CENTRE
Written on the 16 January 2015 by Nick Nichols
WESTFIELD has scrambled to action this week, raising
expectations that it is poised to announce a start to the longawaited $1.5 billion Coomera Town Centre after the Newman
Government vowed to finally upgrade the Exit 54 bottleneck on
the M1.
A Westfield spokesman says the shopping centre giant has held a
number of meetings this week following news of the road
upgrade and an announcement on the start date will have to wait
until after the January 31 election.
Transport Minister Scott Emerson unveiled plans for the $74
million upgrade which aims to ease congestion on roads that
service Dreamworld to the east of the M1 and the burgeoning
upper Coomera area to the west.
The existing network would have crumbled under the weight of
the traffic expected from the proposed town centre development
to be located along Foxwell Road. Coomera Town Centre will
be a major regional centre competing against the might of Pacific
Fair and Robina Town Centre with around 100,000sqm of retail
space.
Westfield recently flagged a scaled-down version of the project pending the road upgrade, but the company spokesman
did not comment on whether there has been a reconsideration of the size of the project in light of the upgrade.
"Monday's announcement of the intention to upgrade Exit 54 has removed a major impediment to the development at
Coomera Town Centre," says the spokesman from Scentre Group, which owns Westfield retail centres in Australia.
"Scentre Group will continue to work with various parties, including the State Government, post-election to determine
details that include, among other things, the timing of the project's commencement."
A spokesman for the Transport Minister says the road upgrade will proceed under a re-elected Newman Government and
that it is not subject to the leasing of government assets.
"It will be funded from the Queensland Government transport infrastructure funding, along with contributions from the
Federal Government and the developers," says the spokesman.
Approvals for the town centre have been in place for some time after Westfield and the city council reached agreement
on infrastructure charges. However the traffic congestion at Exit 54 has been the latest barrier keeping the project on ice.
Mayor Tom Tate has welcomed the proposed upgrade which is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
"Congestion at Exit 54 has not been just a traffic bottleneck it has been an investment bottleneck that stalled or
jeopardised thousands of much needed jobs," says Tate.
"A commitment by the state and federal government governments has come as an enormous relief to council and I'm sure
families caught in the endless gridlock.
"Importantly, it will be a catalyst for the commencement of the long-awaited Coomera Town Centre which will become
an important piece of social infrastructure.
"Council has been lobbying for the upgrade for years and played its part by spending millions upgrading the capacity of
feeder roads to the sore spot.
"While the LNP has committed to the upgrade, I have separately written to all local candidates and parties to urge them
to make a similar commitment."
"Growth is an unavoidable symptom of having Australia's best lifestyle and it's important that infrastructure keep pace
lest we put that at risk."
Emerson says the project will be out to tender in the next few months with the proposal to replace two heavily congested
roundabouts with signalled intersections and a new three-lane overpass.
"A new loop ramp for northbound motorists will connect to the Coomera town centre and reduce traffic congestion at
these intersections," he says.
The State Government will contribute $47.4 million towards the upgrade, along with $10 million from the Federal
Government and $17.3 million from Westfield.
Pictured: Coomera Waters, surrounds of Coomera Town Centre
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http://www.goldcoastbusinessnews.com.au/articles/westfield-jumps-to-... 16/01/2015
WESTFIELD JUMPS TO ACTION ON COOMERA TOWN CENTRE
Page 2 of 2
Author: Nick Nichols
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