Major public transport and road projects top Queensland Government’s infrastructure priority list
Major public transport projects and key motorway upgrades are among the 12 projects in the Queensland Government’s 2015 Infrastructure Australia (IA) submission.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Jackie Trad said the state’s list of projects for federal government funding met IA’s key goal to prioritise and progress nationally significant infrastructure that could boost national productivity and transform cities.
“South East Queensland is home to one in seven Australians and in the next 25 years an additional 2.2 million people will move into the region. That’s why it is critical to ensure key infrastructure projects are planned immediately,” Ms Trad said.“Infrastructure Australia has already recognised Cross River Rail is the number one priority infrastructure project for the nation and it remains so for the Queensland Government.
“We continue to call on the federal government to come to the table with funding so this project can be delivered to address the Brisbane CBD capacity constraints identified in the Australian Infrastructure Audit.
“A second rail river crossing will ease congestion, unlock economic opportunities and make Queensland a more internationally competitive state.
“The submission also includes the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 2 on the priority list. Currently the major roadblock to funding this project has been a lack of support from the federal government but it is a vitally important project to improve connectivity between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
“The 12 infrastructure projects in Queensland’s IA submission include major public transport and road projects through the state that will underpin our economic growth and jobs into the future.
“In addition to the projects identified for inclusion on Infrastructure Australia’s priority list, we have also highlighted our preliminary work on a range of other important projects, including North Queensland Infrastructure, water infrastructure, and aviation infrastructure.
“We have also sought IA’s advice about the potential inclusion of the Townsville Sports and Entertainment Centre on the list, as projects like this have not historically been included in IA’s remit.”
Ms Trad said the State Government is committed to calling for infrastructure funding to deliver projects that will sustain the construction industry and create a lasting and beneficial legacy for the people of Queensland.
“The Palaszczuk Government’s first Budget delivered a $10.1 billion building program to support 27,500 jobs and our government building program is the second highest in the nation,” Ms Trad said.
“We are getting on with the job of delivering Queensland’s first State Infrastructure Plan in three years to ensure there is certainty for industry and our state does not miss out on the vital infrastructure projects the community needs.
“In contrast, under Mr Abbott’s leadership Canberra retreated from its traditional funding responsibilities in infrastructure and not a single new infrastructure project was announced for Queensland in the last federal budget.
“We remain hopeful that the new Turnbull Government will take a different approach to investing in critical public transport infrastructure projects — which were ignored by the former Prime Minister.”
The Queensland Government IA submission includes seven new priority projects and five existing projects from the 2013 Infrastructure Priority List.
The full project list:
Projects on the 2013 Infrastructure Priority List to be retained and updated
- Cross River Rail
- Bruce Highway Upgrades
- Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade
- Mount Isa – Townsville Rail Corridor Upgrade including Townsville Eastern Access Corridor (TEARC)
- Ipswich Motorway –Rocklea to Darra – State 1
New initiatives and projects for Infrastructure Priority List consideration
- Gold Coast Light Rail – Stage 2
- Cunningham Highway – Yamanto to Ebenezer/Amberley upgrade
- Pacific Motorway – Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes capacity upgrade
- Inland Rail/Southern Rail Corridor
- Pacific Motorway – Gateway/Pacific Motorway merge
Initiatives in development
- Smart Road Infrastructure for SEQ – Managed Motorways
- National Land Transport Network Renewal
Source: News Release, Urbanalyst, 21 September, 2015