News
22 May, 2025
Detour on deadline
The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has extended the public consultation period for Stage 4 of the proposed Bruce Highway Western Alternative (BHWA) by an additional two weeks, following persistent pressure from Moodlu and Elimbah residents.
Initially set to close on 30 April, the consultation period was first extended to 14 May and will now remain open until 2 June.
The decision comes amid intensifying community opposition to the March 2025 proposed route, which residents argue threatens homes, farms and future growth areas.
Elimbah locals are calling for the complete withdrawal of the proposed alignment, saying it unnecessarily encroaches on the Elimbah South East Queensland (SEQ) Development Area, despite widespread and repeated objections.
Community members allege the planning process has been rushed, with flood-prone farmland, sensitive flora and fauna, and excessive road intersections flagged as unexamined risks.
Earlier this year, TMR released a revised route for Stage 4 of the BHWA, linking Moodlu and Beerburrum via rural and state-owned land west of Elimbah.
While the new alignment would require the resumption of approximately 30 properties — a marked reduction from the nearly 140 homes affected in a previous proposal — it still crosses the northwest corner of Elimbah’s designated future urban zone.
Speaking on behalf of concerned residents, Elimbah local Kim Litchfield said the new route breaks a key LNP election commitment to “scrap” the previous routes.
“Approximately 25 per cent of this ‘new’ route remains unchanged,” she said. “It has been made abundantly clear that our community does not want the highway to go through current or future residential areas. A true ring road further west, along cleared state land and power easements, would reduce disruption, protect homes and farms, and serve the actual purpose of a Bruce Highway alternative.”
Residents from both Moodlu and Elimbah, supported by City of Moreton Bay Councillor Tony Latter, have submitted formal objections, urging TMR to consider a more westerly alignment that better aligns with local expectations.
“It needs to operate like a ring road around the urban footprint,” Cr Latter said.
TMR maintains that the proposed route is the result of previous consultation efforts and represents a practical “compromise” of transport outcomes and community input.
“The investigations identified a new proposed alignment… that significantly reduces property impacts and community severance,” a TMR spokesperson said.
Locals remain unconvinced, with many arguing the planning process lacks transparency and fails to adequately account for environmental, social and technical impacts.
“The early planning undertaken by TMR appears to lack the detail required to adequately assess and appreciate the social and environmental impacts, technical feasibility and financial viability,” Ms Litchfield said.
The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) has also weighed in, warning that the current route could jeopardise future housing and employment land in the Elimbah SEQ Development Area.
Residents continue to highlight the impact on working farms, with some properties bisected at severe angles, rendering them unviable.
“The way TMR has divided working farms is unacceptable… it prioritises road connectivity over homes and livelihoods,” one resident said.
Community feedback, further details on the proposed alignment and associated planning investigations are available on TMR’s project webpage: https://yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/bhwa/stage-4.
