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Devastating twist in the story of new homes being demolished for a freeway upgrade with THREE times as much to go… as families learn their fate before they even pick up the keys
- Up to 90 homes, fire brigade and ambulance post are flattened for highway
- Initially only 24 houses were planned to be removed for upgrade in the north of Brisbane
- In Griffin, 25 Families Building New Homes Said Their Homes Would Be Demolished
- Ministry of Transport has confirmed 90 letters have been sent to property owners
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Dozens of families in Brisbane may be forced to sacrifice their dream homes to make way for a major highway as entire streets will be bulldozed.
More than 90 homes, a fire department and an ambulance station could be demolished if the state government pushes ahead with plans to expand the Bruce Highway.
Initially, it was estimated that up to 24 homes were affected by the controversial upgrades, but in the span of a few days, that number has nearly tripled.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Transport and Main Roads said up to 90 letters have been sent to property owners warning that they will be affected by the project.
“There are approximately 120 potentially affected property owners for the entire Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway Upgrades project…these owners have been contacted,” a spokeswoman told the Daily Mail Australia.
The department said a third of the letters were sent to private property owners in Murrumba Downs, about 16 miles north of Brisbane.
Up to 25 homes on a single block of Griffin’s Aspire residential neighborhood are being demolished, in addition to the recently opened $6 million Bracken Ridge Fire and Rescue Station and the Sandgate Ambulance Station.
More than 90 houses, a fire brigade and an ambulance station could be demolished in the Queensland Government’s plans to extend the Bruce Highway (pictured)
Charmaine and James Jackson, who have two young sons, lived in their dream home for less than two months before being told it would be bulldozed into the upgrades
The department spokeswoman said both stations would be moved to new nearby locations and remain operational until new facilities were operational.
She said upgrading the highway “is critical to ensuring that this major road corridor can operate safely while meeting current and future traffic needs.”
The state government predicts that traffic between the Moreton Bay Region and the north of Brisbane will increase by about 50 percent every day by 2041.
Many devastated homeowners in Griffin received letters from the Department this week before they even received the keys to their new homes.
Half of the homes destined for demolition are new construction, the other half are still under construction.
Charmaine and James Jackson, who have two young sons, received an email on Monday informing them that their “dream home” in Griffin will be demolished.
The young parents moved into the newly built $600,000 home just less than two months ago on September 1.
“I haven’t stopped feeling sick since I got the email,” Ms Jackson, 29, a stay-at-home mom told the Daily Mail Australia.
“We thought we’d be in this house until our kids left the house.”
The couple (pictured celebrating the purchase of their dream home) paid about $600,000 for the house and land and didn’t move in until September 1.
Charmaine and James Jackson, who have two young sons, received their email on Monday informing them that their “dream home” in Griffin (pictured) will be bulldozed in the upgrades
Families living in the Aspire development in Griffin (pictured) will see their dream homes bulldozed as part of $2.1 billion upgrades to the Bruce Highway
Moreton Bay Regional Council mayor Peter Flannery told 4BC Radio host Neil Breen he hadn’t seen any “lines on the map” until Thursday.
“And now we have people who have been getting letters in the mail or email saying that your whole house can be resumed for the widening of this road,” he said.
“It’s probably a blueprint for how you don’t communicate well with the community about critical infrastructure.”
Transport Secretary Mark Bailey said Thursday that the Bruce Highway upgrades were “in the very early planning stages.”
“Residents who may be affected will be the first to be notified,” he said.
“We’re committed to major upgrades like this one that will help Queenslanders get home safer and faster.”
Transport Secretary Mark Bailey (pictured) said Thursday the upgrades to Bruce Highway were “in the very early planning stages.”