‘JETSONS-LIKE FANTASY’
MAIN Roads Minister Mark Bailey says Federal Minister Steve Ciobo is engaged in a “Jetsons-like fantasy” for suggesting a supersonic Hyperloop could be built between the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Mr Bailey said it was a “pie in the sky plan”.
FEDERAL Minister Steven Ciobo is inviting the State Government to work with him on exploring a hi-tech Brisbane to Gold Coast transport fix as he stares down accusations he’s in fantasy land.
Mr Ciobo, in yesterday’s Bulletin, revealed he had visited the Los Angeles HQ of Hyperloop One and believed its 1000km per hour rocket-like pod “does warrant additional exploration”.
Tesla founder Elon Musk is a fan of the magnetic technology which he presented a paper on to then-US President Barack Obama in 2013. Virgin mogul Richard Branson is a significant investor.
Queensland Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey yesterday panned Mr Ciobo’s push, calling on him to invest in “real transport infrastructure in the South East, rather than touting pie in the sky plans like a hyperloop”.
“They are ignoring Queensland’s heavy rail needs in favour of Jetsons-like fantasies,” Mr Bailey said.
“Hyperloop is unproven and untested in the real world.”
In response, Mr Ciobo said Mr Bailey was “about as forward thinking as the Amish and under Labor’s watch we have seen the M1 basically grind to a halt”.
“Mark Bailey and Labor are responsible for executing a solution to the M1 and they have done nothing,” Mr Ciobo said.
“I stand by my position to pursue in good faith alternatives that provide workable solutions and frankly it’s disappointing in the extreme Labor is still so wedded to playing politics.”
Mr Ciobo released a letter he sent to Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday, outlining his trip to Hyperloop HQ and its technology “capable of moving passengers at airline speeds at a fraction of the cost”.
“This would appear a possible solution worth exploring further,” he writes.
“If your Government felt additional exploration was warranted, I would propose working with your nominated Minister to more closely scrutinise the viability of the technology.”
Despite Mr Bailey slamming the idea, Mr Ciobo received backing to explore it from Gold Coast North Chamber of Commerce president Martin Brady.
Queensland LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said: “Mark Bailey might like to tell all those poor South East Queenslanders stuck in M1 gridlock every day how happy he is to shoot down new ideas to solve their traffic nightmares.
“I reckon they’d rather Annastacia Palaszczuk got on and fixed the problem by building a second M1 as the LNP has promised.
“Labor doesn’t have a real plan to fix the M1 just more petty politicking.
“LNP’s open to looking at any proposal or idea that has the potential to bust congestion on the M1.”