Queensland’s transport minister has described the budget eve announcement of a train line from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast as being in “circus sort of territory”, saying the promised money appeared “plucked out of the sky”.
But commuter advocates have welcomed the promised Sunshine Coast extension as having the potential to “revolutionise” public transport from Brisbane to the beaches.
A train line between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and faster rail to the Gold Coast, will be the big ticket items in an election eve budget splash on Queensland by the federal government.
The Morrison government has promised $3.9bn for infrastructure projects in the state as it prepares to host the 2032 Olympics, including $1.6bn for a new train line to Maroochydore, on the Sunshine Coast. Another $1.12bn has been promised for a faster train service to the Gold Coast.
At a press conference on Monday, the treasurer, Cameron Dick, welcomed the money promised for Queensland infrastructure – its $3.9b compared to the $3.3b allocated for infrastructure in both New South Wales and Victoria and the $2.1b to Western Australia.
Dick said the state had “done the business case” and invested in the Gold Coast faster rail, and was pleased it had been matched by the federal government.
But the treasurer expressed “a bit of surprise” at the dollar figure attached to the Sunshine Coast rail extension.
Queensland would be expected to match Canberra’s $1.6b, but Dick said his government had been advised the project would cost more.
“They think they can deliver the project for $3.2b – that’s not the advice we received,” the treasurer said.
He then went on to slam the Morrison government’s priorities, calling on it to co-fund the state’s $771m disaster assistance package rather than focus on “LNP seats on the Sunshine Coast”.
Federal urban infrastructure minister, Paul Fletcher, said in a statement that track upgrades between Kuraby to Beenleigh would allow for the doubling of express and all stop services to the Gold Coast.
Coupled with the track extension from Beerwah to Maroochydore, the two projects would “enhance connectivity” between the capital and major regional centres to the north and south, forming part of a 200km north-south rail corridor, “with Brisbane at the centre”.
“With the 2032 Olympic Games just a decade away, it is critical that we plan and invest in the required infrastructure now so that Queensland is not only well equipped to host a successful Games, but can support sustainable growth over the coming decades,” Fletcher said.
The budget also included $396m for the “city deal” designed to deliver key infrastructure to south-east Queensland ahead of the Games that was signed last week by the prime minister, premier and the region’s mayors.
But the bipartisanship loudly proclaimed at that signing was notably absent from the Queensland government’s response to this week’s budget announcements.
Transport minister, Mark Bailey, said Queenslanders had a right to be cynical of the Sunshine Coast announcement.
“We have no idea on what basis this $1.6bn figure has come from,” Bailey said.
“There is a preliminary valuation under way right now, the business case is due next year.”
“This figure seems to be plucked out of the sky.”
Bailey said the two governments had not had “any discussions” about the plans, a fact he said consigned them to “circus sort of territory”.
But commuter advocate Jeffrey Addison called on the state government to “get on board” for a project that he said would “revolutionise transport to and from the Sunshine Coast”.
Addison previously commuted by train four hours a day from Brisbane to his Sunshine Coast hinterland home for 18 years.
“A lot of complaints are made about the north coast line being through the hinterland and too far from the coast – well this will give people access to the beaches,” he said.
“It goes into the heart of Maroochydore.”
