Budget wins expected on GC for M1, light rail
THE Morrison Government is tipped to bypass funding Cross River Rail in tonight’s Federal Budget, opting instead to fast forward the light rail and upgrades of the Pacific Motorway.
Personal income tax cuts are also expected with the government already flagging one-off power payments of $75 for singles and $125 for couples to help pensioners and single parents.
The power pitch by Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be critical in the marginal northern seat of Forde, where sitting MP Bert van Manen needs to beat Labor’s Des Hardman for the Coalition to retain government.
Mr Morrison is expected to announce a date for the election this week. It will be either May 11 or 18.
Cross River Rail is touted as the M1’s future congestion buster with trains expected to leave the Glitter Strip for Brisbane on average every 15 minutes in the morning peak, providing an extra 3150 seats and three new Coast stations.
Labor is bracing to fund Queensland’s biggest public infrastructure project, delayed by two years due to stalling by the Coalition Government on a funding commitment.
“I simply cannot understand why the LNP is willing to throw billions of dollars at rail projects in Sydney and Melbourne, but not contribute a cent for the most important congestion busting project in southeast Queensland,” Gold Coast-based Labor Senator Murray Watt said yesterday.
“Their position stands in stark contrast to federal Labor. A Shorten Labor Government will commit $2.24 billion towards this critical project, which will increase Gold Coast train services and get thousands of cars off the M1.”
But Mayor Tom Tate, one of the city’s LNP leaders, believes the Budget will deliver on the transport front.
“One in seven voters lives here in southeast Queensland so I am expecting good things from the Federal Government Budget, especially the M1 solution,” he said.
“They are putting money into upgrading existing black spots and I am looking forward to additional announcements about infrastructure funding continuing.”
The Morrison Budget is expected to deliver for the Coast:
An extra $6 million in road safety funding as part of a $2.2 billion preelection pitch.
$112 million to get light rail from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads, helping to green light Stage 3A. $8 million on a business case for a new fast-rail line, slashing the Gold Coast-Brisbane commute to 32 minutes.
A $1 billion solution to fix the M1 bottleneck between Daisy Hill and the Logan Motorway. Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the Morrison Government needed to deliver for the Coast on health and education, fairer funding for northern M1 exits, a boost for aged care and tourism infrastructure along with startups for small businesses.
“For the past five Federal Budgets, we’ve seen no significant investment in infrastructure for the Gold Coast,” Ms Jones said yesterday.
“Every federal seat on the Coast is held by the LNP but this is never reflected in the funding provided to Australia’s sixthlargest city.
“Tomorrow is Scott Morrison’s last chance to show Gold Coasters they matter. The Gold Coast deserves its fair share.”
I AM EXPECTING GOOD THINGS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET