Coomera Connector

The Coomera Connector (sometimes referred to as the Second M1), is a future state-controlled north-south road corridor between Loganholme and Nerang, east of the Pacific Motorway (M1).

The new road will be an alternative to the M1, providing more transport capacity to support the rapidly growing residential and business communities in the northern Gold Coast and neighbouring Logan areas.

The complete gazetted corridor extends for 45km between the Logan Motorway and Pacific Motorway interchange at Loganholme and Nerang–Broadbeach Road in Nerang. The gazetted Coomera Connector corridor also includes provision for a local road connection from the Coomera Connector at Eagleby to the intersection of Beenleigh–Redland Bay Road and Mount Cotton Road at Carbrook.

Stage 1 of the Coomera Connector is the southern section between Coomera and Nerang.

The northern section between Loganholme and Coomera will be progressed as future stages.

Current status

A reference design and business case for Coomera Connector Stage 1 are expected to be considered by government in mid-2021.

Construction of the Stage 1 North package (Shipper Drive, Coomera to Helensvale Road, Helensvale) is expected to start with early works from mid-2021.

Benefits

  • Improves safety
  • Increases capacity
  • Improves network efficiency
  • Increases traffic flow
  • Reduces peak hour congestion
  • Reduces interchange queuing
  • Reduces travel time
  • Contributes to economy
  • Better active transport

Key features

  • Relieve pressure on the M1 by providing an alternative route for local traffic and additional crossings of the Logan, Albert, Coomera and Nerang rivers. 
  • Provide improved connections and accessibility to more transport options on the northern Gold Coast. 
  • Improve travel time between Brisbane and the Gold Coast by reducing the number of local trips on the M1. 
  • Increase safety on the M1 by reducing congestion and potential queuing at interchanges.
  • Provide more reliable travel times between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. 
 

Funding

The Australian Government and Queensland Government have committed a total of $1.53 billion (on a 50:50 basis) to plan and construct Coomera Connector Stage 1 (Second M1) between Coomera and Nerang. Investment ID 1776678

Total investment
$1.53 billion
Australian Government
$765.25 million
Queensland Government
$765.25 million

Stage 1: Coomera to Nerang

The southern section of the Coomera Connector, between Coomera and Nerang, is the priority section that will be built first.

Following community consultation, the northern end point for Coomera Connector Stage 1 is confirmed as Shipper Drive, Coomera. 

Coomera Connector Stage 1 will be delivered in 3 construction packages:

  • Stage 1 North: Shipper Drive, Coomera to Helensvale Road, Helensvale
    Construction to with early works start from mid-2021
  • Stage 1 Central: Helensvale Road, Helensvale to Smith Street Motorway, Molendinar
    Construction timing to be confirmed
  • Stage 1 South: Smith Street Motorway, Molendinar to Nerang-Broadbeach Road, Nerang
    Construction timing to be confirmed

Coomera Connector Stage 1, between Coomera and Nerang, is expected to be progressively open to traffic in sections from late 2024. 

Coomera Connector Stage 1 construction packages map

Community consultation

Initial community consultation on the Coomera Connector was undertaken in late 2019.

The consultation program included a series of 10 community drop-in sessions along the 45km project corridor, plus online engagement activities.

There was significant interest from the community with 3,200 visits to the website, more than 2,000 people visiting the community drop-in sessions to talk with the project team, and 700 pieces of feedback received.

A telephone survey of 1,000 residents and businesses revealed 4 out of 5 people in the project corridor area supported the introduction of the Coomera Connector.

View the Coomera Connector community consultation summary report (PDF, 1.47 MB).

A second round of community consultation focusing on Stage 1 was undertaken in late 2020. This consultation gave the community the opportunity to have their say on key aspects of the project such as urban design. 

TMR assessed a number of alternative alignments put forward by the community for the Coomera Connector in the vicinity of Eagleby and consulted on the outcomes of the assessment in May and June 2021.

Community Reference Group

A Coomera Connector Stage 1 Community Reference Group was established for the business case phase of the project. The purpose of the group was to gain community input from resident, business and environmental stakeholders into key negotiable aspects of the project.

Find out more about community consultation for the Coomera Connector.

Coomera Connector Stage 1 animated concepts

A series of animated concepts for Stage 1 have been developed to show what the Coomera Connector may look like when constructed.

  • Introductory video

    Video transcript

    The M1 is a key part of Australia’s national land transport network. Rapidly expanding residential and industrial communities and high levels of projected population growth between Brisbane and the Gold Coast are contributing to the increasing congestion on the M1.

    The Queensland Government is planning a new transport corridor that will take pressure off the M1, increasing safety for all road users.

    Starting in the south at Nerang Broadbeach Road at Nerang, the new Coomera Connector corridor will be located to the east of the M1 and will travel through the busy growth centre of Coomera and connect with the Logan and Pacific Motorway interchanges.

    The corridor will be wide enough for up to 6 lanes of traffic and will include provision for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians.

    While still in the early planning phase at present, the Coomera Connector is one of a number of options being considered to address congestion issues on the M1.

    The Coomera Connector is expected to play a complementary role to the M1, cutting travel time between Brisbane and the Gold Coast by reducing the number of trips taken on the M1, while also improving connections and providing more transport options for communities in the growing northern Gold Coast corridor.

    To find out more about the Coomera Connector, visit tmr.qld.gov.au/coomeraconnector

  • Coomera

    Concept video showing what the planned Coomera Connector road may look like when constructed in the vicinity of the Coomera River, including an overpass at Hope Island Road.

  • Helensvale

    Concept video showing what the planned Coomera Connector road may look like when constructed in the vicinity of the Helensvale including how the new road is positioned in relation to the Helensvale transit hub.

  • Parkwood

    Concept video showing what the planned Coomera Connector road may look like when constructed in the vicinity of the Parkwood, including an overpass at the Smith Street Motorway near the Parkwood light rail station.

  • Nerang

    Concept video showing what the planned Coomera Connector road may look like when constructed at Nerang, including a new bridge over the Nerang River.

Koala movement pathway monitoring

Recognising the significance of koala populations in the northern Gold Coast, Professor Darryl Jones and the team from Griffith University were engaged to undertake monitoring of koala movement pathways near Coombabah Creek at Helensvale. Cameras, spotlighting surveys and scat sampling were used to detect all vertebrate species larger than a squirrel glider.

A broad range of species were detected confirming the area as a key regional biodiversity corridor, including the Eastern Grey kangaroo, Swamp and Red-necked wallabies, common brushtail possums, squirrel gliders, reptiles, amphibians, birds and microbats.

Recommendations from the study will feed into the design of Coomera Connector Stage 1 including the provision of structures to provide dry and safe walkways for koalas to cross under transport infrastructure in times of heavy rain when water can inundate the area. To minimise potential vehicle strike risk of animals such as the Eastern grey kangaroo, Griffith University has recommended that appropriate exclusion fencing and escape ramps be included in the design of the Coomera Connector near Coombabah Creek.

Koala management plan

As part of the extensive planning for the Coomera Connector project, TMR is working in partnership with koala conservation specialists and community environmental stakeholders to develop a koala management plan and environmental management plans to manage impacts on wildlife habitat in and around the project corridor. 

This includes extensive wildlife surveys to confirm existing wildlife movement corridors and the inclusion of wildlife movement structures and exclusion fencing in the design. To ensure that impacts to habitat are addressed, the plan will also include the acquisition and rehabilitation of additional land in the local area to support local wildlife populations and to replace areas of habitat lost for the Coomera Connector.

Environmental approvals

Environmental approvals are being progressed with the federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment currently assessing Stage 1 of the project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC). The EPBC referral includes results of more than 18 months of terrestrial and aquatic ecological surveys in the Coomera Connector corridor.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment confirmed Coomera Connector Stage 1 to be a controlled action that will be assessed by public environment report.

For further information, visit the EPBC referrals page on the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment website.

Future stages: Loganholme to Coomera

The Queensland Government has committed an additional $11 million (Investment ID 2012259) to continue planning for the future stages of the Coomera Connector between Loganholme and Coomera.

Based on community feedback, TMR has undertaken an assessment of 6 alternative alignments for the Coomera Connector in the vicinity of Eagleby.

Consultation with the community on the outcomes of the assessment is currently being undertaken. 

Background

The Coomera Connector (formerly known as the Intra Regional Transport Corridor) will be a key link in an expanded road transport network between Loganholme and the Gold Coast where residential and business communities are growing rapidly.

Since the 1990s, the corridor has been identified in various public planning documents, such as published street directories, regional transport plans, planning studies and City of Gold Coast planning schemes. A joint 2015 study between TMR and the City of Gold Coast confirmed the corridor is a future strategic transport link that will relieve traffic congestion on the M1 and surrounding local roads.

The Coomera Connector was formally declared a future state-controlled road, confirmed in the Queensland Government Gazette in 3 sections:

  • The Nerang to Coomera section on 18 March 2016.
  • The Coomera to Stapylton section on 12 May 2017.
  • The Stapylton to Loganholme section 15 March 2019.

Formal confirmation of the corridor in the Queensland Government Gazette allows the corridor to be protected from new development and provides certainty for property owners, business and residential communities on the northern Gold Coast.

All property owners directly impacted by the gazettal of the corridor were advised during the planning stage. Our team continues to liaise with property owners when dealing with land sales and development applications. Early acquisition of properties by TMR may occur in some circumstances. 

Coomera Connector map

Coomera Connector alignment map