State’s river rail off track
THE Federal Budget includes $1 billion on the table to fix the M1 and the promise of more money to target major urban road congestion hot spots.
But both heavy rail improvements at the Brisbane connection end on the Gold Coast line and light rail extensions will have to wait for a future budget.
The Budget Papers confirm the Government intends to spend $75 billion from 2018-19 to 2027-28 in transport infrastructure across Australia using a combination of grant funding and financing measures.
Almost $25 billion will be spent on major new projects with $5.2 billion allocated to Queensland, with much of that focused on the Bruce Highway.
The Gold Coast will benefit from $1 billion to widen the M1 to eight lanes from Brisbane to Tugun and a $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund to address gridlock in major built-up areas.
The Government is also backing a $250 million Major Project Business Case Fund which will help develop future high priority land transport infrastructure deals.
The Budget provides no details of planning for the M1 but federal MPs say the funds will be provided once the State Government ticks off on a 50-50 funding deal.
If the State Government reaches agreement in the next few months, work can start once the current widening on projects at the Varsity end and M1-M3 Gateway merge are completed within the next two years.
Federal Gold Coast MP Karen Andrews believes the State Government will agree to match the $1 billion in the Budget for the M1 upgrade.
“It’s good news for the Gold Coast, the $1 billion to upgrade the M1 is locked in,” Ms Andrews said.
“I’m confident they (the State) will come on board with that and we will have continuous building of the road from Varsity.”
Ms Andrews welcomed the aged care initiatives in the Budget and almost $300 million in improved security measures at airports.
“I will be making sure Gold Coast Airport is part of the security upgrade. I’ll be fighting to make sure we get a share of that money,” she said.
Brisbane is to benefit from $300 million for its Metro project where the Brisbane City Council plans to deliver highfrequency transport services across 21km of existing busways.
About $390 million will be spent duplicating the North Coast line between Beerburrum and Landsborough, much like the doubling of the track between Helensvale to Coomera.
But the Budget fails to deliver on Cross River Rail which effectively stalls the building of three new stations on the northern section of the Coast rail line.
Gold Coast-based Senator Murray Watt last night told the Bulletin: “Queenslanders voted for Cross River Rail when they re-elected the Palaszczuk Labor Government last November.
“When completed, the Cross River Rail will remove current bottlenecks by doubling the capacity across the river and allowing more trains to run more often, along every major train line including to and from the Gold Coast.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last year announced three new stations — at Worongary-Merrimac, Helensvale North and Pimpama — would depend on the project getting the green light.
The three stations would cost about $40 million each and be finished by 2023 as the services would add 3150 peak-hour seats on the Coast line.
“It will mean less cars on our roads and a 15-minute shorter transit into Brisbane city. Cross River Rail is a no brainer,” Senator Watt said.
“Malcolm Turnbull should quit playing politics with this vital project and fund it. It is hard to understand why the LNP would do nothing about the Gold Coast’s needs when it is spending hundreds of millions on a rail line to the Sunshine Coast.”