Queensland citizens draw to the attention of the House works planned by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (job number 269/851/730259) which are inadequate to deal with traffic through these intersections.

MacArthur Drive intersection connects a precinct containing 157 homes and 18 businesses with Shute Harbour Road (SHR). The changes will make exiting this cul-de-sac difficult as there is no slip-lane for vehicles joining one lane of 70km/h traffic on SHR. The plan will improve safety when turning off SHR but it doesn't address the unsuitable speed limit on this suburban road, or the dangerous junction with William Murray Drive industrial estate. Congestion will increase as 1.5 km of SHR goes from four lanes to two.

This part of SHR services the growing tourism town of Cannonvale/Airlie Beach connecting services, tourism attractions, industrial estates and tourist resorts on the islands. The local population is about 10,000 and tourist numbers are around 600,000 per year, 50% of whom visit by road (Tourism Whitsunday statistics), demonstrating a need for a better solution than reducing the only main road from four lanes to two.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to take all action possible to ensure that Main Roads reduce the speed limit on the section of Shute Harbour Road between Tropic and Paluma Roads to 60km/h and to maintain Shute Harbour Road at four lanes by building roundabouts at the junctions of Macarthur and William Murray Drives to properly address traffic congestion and safety concerns now and into the future.