Higher speed limits in QLD (maybe)

[flappist]

While this is political it is a very important thing for Queenslanders as we have an election shortly.

I just received a policy document from Katter's Australian Party.

It stated that they are going to upgrade the Bruce from the Gateway to Sunny Coast to 125km/h and build a new 125km/h arterial road from Sunny coast to South Burnett as well as sort out several of our other problem spots.

This is the first time in at least a decade that there has been a policy to raise speed limits instead of lowering them and installing more speed cameras.

It is very interesting and I am looking forward to all the screaming from the wowsers as well as replies from the other parties.

2012 is turning out to be a very interesting year.......

P.S. this is not a "vote katter" thread it is a "fix the roads and make life easier for road users" thread and I hope that others do the same.

[TheSneakiness]

Interesting, *if* he did get in (which is going to be highly unlikely) I'd watch the guys pull down all the 110km/h signs and enjoy it.

[BHDOGS]

a double edged sword get your faster roads then oppress gay people guess youd have to decide if driving faster somewhere is worth the negatives of a new party. Even crazy katters bbq outback jamboree fun time hour.

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by flappist

While this is political it is a very important thing for Queenslanders as we have an election shortly.

I just received a policy document from Katter's Australian Party.

It stated that they are going to upgrade the Bruce from the Gateway to Sunny Coast to 125km/h and build a new 125km/h arterial road from Sunny coast to South Burnett as well as sort out several of our other problem spots.

This is the first time in at least a decade that there has been a policy to raise speed limits instead of lowering them and installing more speed cameras.

It is very interesting and I am looking forward to all the screaming from the wowsers as well as replies from the other parties.

2012 is turning out to be a very interesting year.......

P.S. this is not a "vote katter" thread it is a "fix the roads and make life easier for road users" thread and I hope that others do the same.

I just received that document as well... I think the main question is "How did you and I end up on the same mailing list??"

On topic, there's some interesting stuff in that document, good left wing policy too!

[calais]

Hrm....... it is an interesting policy.

Wasnt something similar floated in the Northern Territory a few years ago and it was shot down in flames?

[cs123]

At the same time Campbell Newman is talking about tougher hoon laws.

Bob Katter is a bit like the Greens, in so far as he can promise what he likes because he won't be in a position to deliver.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Interesting, *if* he did get in (which is going to be highly unlikely) I'd watch the guys pull down all the 110km/h signs and enjoy it.

Yeh it is a bit of a long shot but on the other hand this is QLD and we have been known to kick our government in the nuts in a big way when they have annoyed us.

Remember there were once more One Nation here than Lib & Nat combined. (pushback from Howard in '97). Actually neither Lib nor Nat had enough members to be legally be a party, they had to change the rules.

But back to the topic, what it will do, should it actually happen, is throw a huge spanner into the works in the southern states.
If QLD can have 125km/h safely then why not NSW/VIC. Of course if the road toll suddenly jumps to 1,000 per day as predicted by the Monash University report on "Economic recovery by speed camera" it will be a bit of a bummer.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

question is "How did you and I end up on the same mailing list??"!

Electoral Role. it's a great marketing tool.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

I just received that document as well... I think the main question is "How did you and I end up on the same mailing list??"

On topic, there's some interesting stuff in that document, good left wing policy too!

I get them all as I believe that no one is always right and no one is always wrong. I only put this one here as it is the exact opposite of the almost constant hoon/speed camera/confiscate/insert wowser here threads that keep popping up and maybe shine a little bit of light into what is becoming a darker and darker future for car enthusiasts.

[Smoke Pursuit]

125 kms an hour... id like to see that... 50% of the cars on QLD's roads would not handle 125 kms an hour safely, most of them cant do 100 and keep straight.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

125 kms an hour... id like to see that... 50% of the cars on QLD's roads would not handle 125 kms an hour safely, most of them cant do 100 and keep straight.

Baloney

[Keepleft]

Interesting, this 5km/h increment.

Better to round it to the 10km/h mark, so either 120-130km/h range. Safer to allow for (//), this way we are not giving one a speed limit to "drive at".

Nothing will change in OZ unless folk decide to vote differently, OR become involved in party politics, and the latter bit will not eventuate.

Originally Posted by calais

Hrm....... it is an interesting policy.

Wasnt something similar floated in the Northern Territory a few years ago and it was shot down in flames?

It remains official CLP party policy, that if elected next time, - NT will remove most of the 130km/h zones and replace them with speed derestriction signs.

Unlike in times past (Pre 2007) where the geography outside of towns had no speed maximum, here under this CLP policy - the rural default 110km/h will apply, UNLESS the specific roads has a posted speed limit higher than 110km/h, OR the road is POSTED WITH derestriction (//) signs.

Not yet considered chasing sitting NSW coalition over higher limits, but will. NSW state forrest roads are now 60km/h (signed and default), a limit bought in under the last days of NSW Labor - might get this checked and changed.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Baloney

Do you live in QLD?
I agree with said post and will go one further and say I dont even think the road is good enough, maybe the M1 from GC to Brisbane.

[zdcol71]

This part of his policy comes (in part) at the expense of the $8billion light rail project for Brisbane , a project that would potentially have far more benefit to my self than being able to access the Sunshine Coast or Burnett district any quicker.
Any one who thinks that having a high speed access to these regions will "allow for better population distribution and access to lower cost land and houses to families" should compare it with the ongoing "upgrade" that is the M1 motorway(now nothing more than a moderate speed commute through suburbia, which isn't a huge stretch longer than Bris to Sunshine Coast)

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Baloney

Have you driven QLD's **** poor roads have you?

As far as the road worthiness of our cars go that's another story for another day... No pink or blue slips in this state, unless you want to sell the car to some other poor soul, and for a carton of beer and $66 you can get a RWC really easy.

[csv8]

Ipswich Motorway needs to go back to 100km/hr ASAP!!! another Lucas debacle.
Katter has sound policies...March 24..LNP win Government...Katter wins more seats than Labor and forms the opposition..interesting times ahead!!!!

[flappist]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Do you live in QLD?
I agree with said post and will go one further and say I dont even think the road is good enough, maybe the M1 from GC to Brisbane.

They say they are actually upgrading the road not just the limit.

You and Dash do have a point though, we do have a lot of crap cars on the road but they don't actually have to do 125 they can still wander along at 90 blocking the right lane like they do now.

Maybe we need a yearly roadworthy and a phase out of old crap cars here. I have mentioned this before but drew a huge scream from the "I can't afford a $15k new 4 cylinder car so I bought a $15k completly stuffed old V8 to tow the boat and caravan that I might buy except I can't afford them and carry the family of 5 should I actually get married and have children one day" and "old cars are safer than new cars because the have more chrome" brigades.

[irish2]

There are plenty of single lane pot hole ridden roads that are 100km/h already, and they have been that way since before seatbelts and radial tyres. We live on a massive continent that is sparsely populated yet we have the slowest highway limits in the developed world. Good on katter for bringing some much needed debate.

[cs123]

Originally Posted by flappist

I just received a policy document from Katter's Australian Party.

This post prompted me to go and check their policies out. I was quite surprised to find the general "vibe" of their principals are reasonable to me. Not very keen on the homophobia in their latest adds though.

Time will tell how their actions match up to their ideals after this election.

[Stazza_Brendan]

Originally Posted by flappist

While this is political it is a very important thing for Queenslanders as we have an election shortly.

I just received a policy document from Katter's Australian Party.

It stated that they are going to upgrade the Bruce from the Gateway to Sunny Coast to 125km/h and build a new 125km/h arterial road from Sunny coast to South Burnett as well as sort out several of our other problem spots.

So almost the entire Bruce Highway north of Gympie?

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

125 kms an hour... id like to see that... 50% of the carsDRIVERS on QLD's roads would not handle 125 kms an hour safely, most of them cant do 100 and keep straight.

Fixed that for you.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Stazza_Brendan

So almost the entire Bruce Highway north of Gympie?

Yeh basically although that is slowy getting sorted at the moment. The new bit near Federal will eventually end up at Curra just north of the rail bridge bypassing Gympie completely. The Federal bit opens soon with the next bit being the link to Cooroy and then up to The Pocket. It will be another 8 years before it is finished but then they did start on it in 1978 and it is being administered by public servants.

[FreddyDUZ747]

Should save alot of time for some people..

[Franco Cozzo]

We could do with some 125km/h roads down here in Vic, but I don't think it will set the precedent for other states, look at NT, they have a 130km/h limit, also QLD is a much larger state than Vic, so I guess it makes more sense over there.

Hume and Calder could use 125km/h I reckon.

[rancidpunx]

Originally Posted by cs123

This post prompted me to go and check their policies out. I was quite surprised to find the general "vibe" of their principals are reasonable to me. Not very keen on the homophobia in their latest adds though.

Time will tell how their actions match up to their ideals after this election.

I agree. Labor are done and Newman is not the right guy for the job. Nothing will change.

As for the OP, the M1 between NSW and Brisbane could probably handle the speeds but not the Bruce after Caboolture. I would need major work to get it to standard and that would take ages and in the mean time slow the traffic down whilst the work is completed. Needs to happen though. Noosa to Gympie is so tedious at the moment and then north of Gympie is just plain dangerous. Its laughable that is the route to head north.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by flappist

They say they are actually upgrading the road not just the limit.

You and Dash do have a point though, we do have a lot of crap cars on the road but they don't actually have to do 125 they can still wander along at 90 blocking the right lane like they do now.

Maybe we need a yearly roadworthy and a phase out of old crap cars here.(Agree) I have mentioned this before but drew a huge scream from the "I can't afford a $15k new 4 cylinder car so I bought a $15k completly stuffed old V8 to tow the boat and caravan that I might buy except I can't afford them and carry the family of 5 should I actually get married and have children one day" and "old cars are safer than new cars because the have more chrome" brigades.

Hi Tony,
Do you know the reason behind the 125 kph link to the South Burnett?
I'm missing the significance....

John

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by flappist

They say they are actually upgrading the road not just the limit.

You and Dash do have a point though, we do have a lot of crap cars on the road but they don't actually have to do 125 they can still wander along at 90 blocking the right lane like they do now.

Maybe we need a yearly roadworthy and a phase out of old crap cars here. I have mentioned this before but drew a huge scream from the "I can't afford a $15k new 4 cylinder car so I bought a $15k completly stuffed old V8 to tow the boat and caravan that I might buy except I can't afford them and carry the family of 5 should I actually get married and have children one day" and "old cars are safer than new cars because the have more chrome" brigades.

Never a truer word spoken.
Sorry mate i only had a quick look as i was on my phone. So 'if' it did happen and they upgraded the road then im all for it, i but i reckon the M1 between GC and Bris could handle it already (Even though driving it you would think the limit was 125kmh )
All for a annual RWC too, that said it wasnt all that much different when i was living in NSW and they have an annual RWC.

[Jim Goose]

The 125kmh idea is odd (due to the 5kmh increment).
As keep left said it would be better at 120 or 130kmh.
But only if the roads were built to better standard.

There is a section between Townsville and charters Towers at 110kmh and Townsville and Rocky as well. Some parts are woeful (particularly the Bruce Highway), while the road to Charters Towers is actually a much better road then the Bruce highway (only one part a few km long is crappy).

I dont think you can post a 5kmh increment into a speed limit can you??
And no speedos out there have 125 on their dials (just a dash) as they all go up in 10kmh increments.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Hi Tony,
Do you know the reason behind the 125 kph link to the South Burnett?
I'm missing the significance....

John

Yeh I think they are trying to set up development in that direction and the commute would be faster. The current nothern run is a mess until Bribie when the Island/Beachmere and Caboolture/Kilcoy traffic wanders off. It is no surprise that this is where the point to point camera lives.

If that can split off some of the Bris Valley traffic from Ipswich/Centenary then that will reduce that headache a bit.

I have always thought that extending the airport line over the swamp and up to Redcliff and then Beachmere with a road beside the rail would remove a few more headaches but the "boonah wetland greenies" would go nuts.

[steve.zissou]

i am back in the US soon and on many of their HWY's that are 65mph you can do 85 mph without getting pulled over (funny though, as your got less chance when its packed and 1000000 cars are all doing 85 - but if you the only car on the road you might actually get pinged)

The cars were crappier and roads were just as bad as ours (in LA anyway) and the world didnt end there (and every talks on their mobile while driving and 20% of people dont even have number plates on their car).

I would vote KAP over lib's or labour if i was in qld (unfair targeting of gay marriage not withstanding)