RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Brisbanetimes --> Major parties lay out their election-year plans. How will they get your vote? $

QuoteWe're one year out from the state election, set to be held on Saturday, October 26, 2024 – and Queensland's two major political parties have all but fired the starter's gun on an arguably too-long quasi-campaign this week to mark the milestone. ...

 

https://x.com/StevenJMiles/status/1717289649788559729?s=20

https://x.com/DavidCrisafulli/status/1717284767513936206?s=20

Mud slinging and not policy

Couriermail --> YouGov poll reveals Annastacia Palaszczuk no longer preferred Premier $

QuoteAnnastacia Palaszczuk is no longer Queensland's preferred Premier for the first time and her performance rating is worse than Anna Bligh and Campbell Newman.

The poll, conducted by YouGov for The Courier-Mail, presents the worst result for the Premier since she took office in 2015 and shows Labor is on the path towards a bruising defeat at next year's election.

It reveals the LNP has extended its two-party lead over Labor to 52-48 per cent – putting about a dozen seats at risk if an election was held today, just shy of the 13 it needs to win government. ...

ABC News --> Queensland's Premier learns from political damage as Labor and LNP begin unofficial election campaigns

QuoteQueensland's premier insists she has "absolutely learnt" from a politically damaging few months, as Labor and the Liberal-National Party (LNP) both begin unofficial election campaigns one year out from polling day.

Annastacia Palaszczuk fought off chatter of internal party dissatisfaction and leadership rumblings in September after holidaying in southern Italy, declaring she was determined to lead Labor to the next election.

Key points:

The premier says she has gained insights from a challenging 2023

Polling shows the LNP and David Crisafulli are more favoured than Labor

The LNP has backflipped on the state's Path to Treaty ...

InQueensland --> Slouching towards a reckoning: A paralysed government has no answers to its woes

Quote... Palaszczuk is facing her toughest battle. The issues are against her and the "it's time" factor after what will be nine long years of Labor in power (a stretch that's actually part of 29 out of the last 34 years of ALP rule) also looms over events.

There are essentially two ways next year's election will play out. It will be a referendum on Labor in power or a choice between Palaszczuk and Crisafulli.

Labor thinks they have a chance with the latter equation but are up against it on the first proposition. ...

Guardian --> In the face of grim polling, can Annastacia Palaszczuk and Queensland Labor retain the state?

QuoteDaniel Andrews went out on top but in Queensland the premier fights on, even as the LNP gears up to go all-in on regional seats ...

Not sure why she isn't handing over power in an orderly manner.
3 terms is enough for any premier.

In Queensland --> Could the Greens be on the verge of a political miracle? The next 12 months will tell the tale

QuoteNext year's Brisbane City Council and State Government elections have a common fascination for our politics junkie, Dennis Atkins. He's been looking at the trends, the public mood and the opportunities that abound. It just might be the Year of the Green. ...

Some people may vote Green where there isn't polarising independents.

Yet, Qld does lack good independents that appeal to their respective electorates unfortunately.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/qld-politics/exclusive-poll-reveals-issues-of-most-concern-to-qlders/news-story/3a9ee8acd10605d5436e4c95b7d84e7b

Couriermail --> Opinion: Why Miles will lose but Albo can still win $

QuoteNext year could be a busier political calendar for Queenslanders than you think.

We're already down for a state election on October 26, but with rapidly changing economic fortunes nationally, all Australians might be sent to the polls in late 2024. ...

The Australian --> Newspoll: Queensland's Liberal National Party in box seat for majority government $

QuoteQueensland's Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli is on track to deliver the first change in government in the state for almost a decade and breach the "red wall" of Labor dominance across mainland Australia, the latest Newspoll finds.

The poll, taken exclusively for The Australian, shows the LNP vote surging eight points clear of Labor, 54 to 46 per cent after preferences. This would translate to a convincing defeat – and the loss of 18 seats – for new Premier Steven Miles if the 7.2 per cent swing against Labor were uniform across the state at the October 26 general election.

Mr Crisafulli's opposition must win a net 13 seats to secure a majority in the 93-electorate parliament and defeat a third-term Labor outfit that came to power in 2015 under Annastacia Palaszczuk. ...

https://x.com/KosSamaras/status/1768380818458865669?s=20

https://x.com/AntonyGreenElec/status/1775268929713340492?s=20

Couriermail --> Opinion: Don't count out Steven Miles in Qld election just yet $

QuotePremier Steven Miles and Labor are gone for all money come the October 26 general election? Don't bet on it – because while there is without doubt a mood for change in Queensland with voters rightly angry at the cost-of-living pressure they are under, this contest is far from over.

There's a roiling volatility within the Queensland electorate at the moment. Queenslanders, eternal optimists, are concerned with where their state is heading.

And while the voters of Inala and Ipswich West sent Labor a message at the by-elections last month, by-elections are not determinants of future general elections. John Howard lost the Ryan by-election in February 2001 and won the general election in September because he listened and actively fixed the concerns of electors.

So it's not about what just happened as to what you do next that determines your electoral future. The leader and party with a plan to quell that anger and ride the wave of electoral demand for a better way will win. ...

Couriermail --> Revealed: The 10 seats Greens believe they can win at state election $

QuoteAfter modest gains in the Brisbane City Council election, the Queensland Greens are aiming to take as many as 10 seats in the October state election, and are open to a deal with Labor to form government.

A reinvigorated Greens party announced six challenger candidates to kick off their state election campaign on Sunday, with a bold agenda aimed at addressing housing affordability, corporate accountability and environmental sustainability.

They have set their sights on South Brisbane, Maiwar, Cooper, McConnel, Greenslopes, Clayfield, Moggill, Miller, Stafford, and Bulimba – with the party confident it would see a swing in these seats following minor successes in the Brisbane City Council elections. ...

A Labor minority government relying on Greens support is a distinctly possible outcome in October.

Couriermail --> YouGov poll: Labor on track to lose 21 seats at Queensland state election $

QuoteLabor is on track for a savage electoral defeat as voters desert Premier Steven Miles and the LNP extends its two-party lead just six months before the state election.

YouGov polling for The Courier-Mail reveals the government trails the Opposition 56 to 44 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis, putting it on track to lose at least 21 seats in the October election.

Six ministers, including up-and-comer Meaghan Scanlon, face defeat in a brutal result that would see the government fall at least 15 seats short of a majority.

The polling also paints a bleak picture for Labor in the two inner-city seats it holds – Cooper and State Development Minister Grace Grace's McConnel – with the Greens' vote up six points to a record 15 per cent.

Labor's primary vote is in freefall at 27 per cent, down a staggering 13 per cent from Annastacia Palaszczuk's 2020 victory and the worst since May 2012 in the wake of Anna Bligh's electoral wipe-out. ...

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1783614793053811172

ABC News --> Queensland premier changes strategy after latest polling spells bad news for Labor

Couriermail --> Premier insists he's 'at base camp' despite polls revealing a landslide $

QuoteSteven Miles insists Labor has reached "base camp" in the climb towards an election victory he's previously declared would be tougher than conquering Mount Everest.

The premier, who on Sunday made another crime-related policy announcement, flagged no change to his electoral strategy despite polls revealing the government was falling further behind the LNP six months out from the state election. ...

Couriermail --> Revealed: LNP's secret lobbyist meetings six months out from election $

QuoteLobbyists have been allowed to hold secret meetings with shadow ministers in a major integrity loophole exposed just six months out from the state election.

Under current lobbying rules, contact between lobbyists and LNP frontbenchers is not required to be disclosed on the state's lobbying register, The Courier-Mail can reveal.

Lobbyists are required to report contact with government or "opposition representatives" within 15 days of a meeting, but the law does not extend to meetings with shadow ministers. ...

Shite and Shite Lite!!!

Quote from: Jonno on May 03, 2024, 16:28:48 PMShite and Shite Lite!!!

I am sure there are secret lobbyist meetings with the Greens as well.

Brisbanetimes --> Crisafulli's LNP climbs higher against Miles' Labor leadership $

QuoteThe news

Voters have turned away from Queensland Labor in the five months since Steven Miles became premier, with the party's support falling to the level of third parties and independents combined – all while the LNP's lead has sharpened.

With a state election in October, the opposition party now holds a 17-percentage-point lead over the governing party on primary voting intention (43 per cent to 26 per cent), according to the latest three-month snapshot by Resolve Strategic for Brisbane Times. ...

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/qld-politics/george-street-beat-qld-politics-news-and-gossip/news-story/7c30bdcd24dc60b2c651033299a64c3d

Quote... The LNP are slated to wipe the floor with Labor at the upcoming Queensland election – at least according to betting outfits.

Sportsbet currently has the LNP paying out a $1.10 to be the next government of Queensland, while Labor is paying out a whopping $9.

TAB is paying out even less, giving punters $1.05 on the LNP. ...

Prediction. If LNP gets in, gclr4 will get deferred in favour of a heavy rail extension, but they won't do anything about the heavy rail extension from for at least a couple of terms.

I don't want this to be the case but it seems like the main thing at risk by the lnp Winning.

The silver lining is I think they might try and get DSCRL to Birtinya first go, since the business case didn't actually rule that out by 2032.

If there is a change of Government I would be happy for them to take a fresh look at the overall Southern Gold Coast network including LRT, BRT, Heavy Rail and regular buses.

Although, I am in favour of the current traffic calming plans they have along the Gold Coast High Way at Palm Beach and I hope they retain them.

I am also in favour of them prioritising and building heavy rail to OOL by 2032. It will really open up the Southern part of the coast and make it more accessible for all. It may also covert car to rail trips for people travelling South to North and vs versa as well.

Quote from: Gazza on May 22, 2024, 09:37:52 AM

Here's a nice video on Helsinkis metro extension and feeder bus system.

I rode this back in 2022. The stations had much more extensive underground bus stations linked to the metro. Think something KGS scale, but for many more of the stops.
You'd also see more retail integrated from day 1.

A stop I was regularly using had two supermarkets built into the surface building:
https://www.google.com/maps/@60.1598155,24.8800092,3a,80.7y,90.52h,93.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saueLaQR7f-p4iRhO3P2xCQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu

Rail patronage on the Southern end of the coast can also be increased by the Helsinki model that @Gazza has been promoting. (Feeding Heavy rail from OOL to Robina.)

So I think this is the LNPs overall objective of a networked approach.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/7mzsWTF5WFeVcAnH/

^^LNPs  pledge to review public transport options for the Southern part of the Gold Coast.

Quote from: verbatim9 on May 25, 2024, 10:58:34 AM

Quote from: Gazza on May 22, 2024, 09:37:52 AM

Here's a nice video on Helsinkis metro extension and feeder bus system.

I rode this back in 2022. The stations had much more extensive underground bus stations linked to the metro. Think something KGS scale, but for many more of the stops.
You'd also see more retail integrated from day 1.

A stop I was regularly using had two supermarkets built into the surface building:
https://www.google.com/maps/@60.1598155,24.8800092,3a,80.7y,90.52h,93.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saueLaQR7f-p4iRhO3P2xCQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu

Rail patronage on the Southern end of the coast can also be increased by the Helsinki model that @Gazza has been promoting. (Feeding Heavy rail from OOL to Robina.)

So I think this is the LNPs overall objective of a networked approach.

Bear in mind Helsinki has a tram system!

Specifically the GC has many activity hubs on the coastal strip. (Which is why the GC exists in the first place)

Heavy rail inland then a bus back to Surfers or Broadbeach is going to be slower than a direct route along the 700/777 Corridor, so the existence of heavy rail won't change that.

Its like saying the Caboolture line reduces pressure on the 333.

Heavy rail will have benefits for people going further of course, but it won't be a substitute for the heavy coastal strip demand

While LRT has more capacity, taking a bus from Surfers to Nerang then train north is quicker than LRT from Helensvale.

Saying that LRT could be well slower than the current buses that run up and down the Gold Coast HWY from OOL to Broadbeach.

Quote from: Gazza on May 25, 2024, 11:20:59 AM

Quote from: verbatim9 on May 25, 2024, 10:58:34 AM

Quote from: Gazza on May 22, 2024, 09:37:52 AM

Here's a nice video on Helsinkis metro extension and feeder bus system.

I rode this back in 2022. The stations had much more extensive underground bus stations linked to the metro. Think something KGS scale, but for many more of the stops.
You'd also see more retail integrated from day 1.

A stop I was regularly using had two supermarkets built into the surface building:
https://www.google.com/maps/@60.1598155,24.8800092,3a,80.7y,90.52h,93.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saueLaQR7f-p4iRhO3P2xCQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu

Rail patronage on the Southern end of the coast can also be increased by the Helsinki model that @Gazza has been promoting. (Feeding Heavy rail from OOL to Robina.)

So I think this is the LNPs overall objective of a networked approach.

Bear in mind Helsinki has a tram system!

Specifically the GC has many activity hubs on the coastal strip. (Which is why the GC exists in the first place)

Heavy rail inland then a bus back to Surfers or Broadbeach is going to be slower than a direct route along the 700/777 Corridor, so the existence of heavy rail won't change that.

Its like saying the Caboolture line reduces pressure on the 333.

Heavy rail will have benefits for people going further of course, but it won't be a substitute for the heavy coastal strip demand

See what comes out of the LNP review as I am sure they will look at all networked possibilities to improve travel times overall, while connecting points of interests on the Southern half of the coast.

Quote from: verbatim9 on May 25, 2024, 11:09:34 AMhttps://www.facebook.com/share/r/7mzsWTF5WFeVcAnH/

^^LNPs  pledge to review public transport options for the Southern part of the Gold Coast.

Quote from: verbatim9 on May 25, 2024, 10:52:01 AMIf there is a change of Government I would be happy for them to take a fresh look at the overall Southern Gold Coast network including LRT, BRT, Heavy Rail and regular buses.

Although, I am in favour of the current traffic calming plans they have along the Gold Coast High Way at Palm Beach and I hope they retain them.

I am also in favour of them prioritising and building heavy rail to OOL by 2032. It will really open up the Southern part of the coast and make it more accessible for all. It may also covert car to rail trips for people travelling South to North and vs versa as well.

According to the works already done, and what is planned, I do not see a reserved corridor or anything that could fit a heavy rail line now that they have widened the motorway. If they are planning to build a rail along from Varsity Lakes to Tugan then all prospects of this are now gone.

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/pacific-motorway-m1-varsity-lakes-to-tugun-upgrade

The Gold Coast had a bus network review some time ago, but their is always room for improvement.

This anti-light rail nonsense agenda has backfired and it only make it more popular. There should definitely be expansions to the network after Coolangatta. If we remove heavy rail from the plans then the only mode lift is light rail. I would say Robina would be the next stage, and can be delivered before 2032.

⁸

Quote from: GonzoFonzie on May 25, 2024, 12:54:27 PMAccording to the works already done, and what is planned, I do not see a reserved corridor or anything that could fit a heavy rail line now that they have widened the motorway. If they are planning to build a rail along from Varsity Lakes to Tugan then all prospects of this are now gone.

This is incorrect.  The corridor between Varsity and Elanora is and always was intended to be largely elevated, and still exists. 

Quote from: SurfRail on May 25, 2024, 13:05:59 PM⁸

Quote from: GonzoFonzie on May 25, 2024, 12:54:27 PMAccording to the works already done, and what is planned, I do not see a reserved corridor or anything that could fit a heavy rail line now that they have widened the motorway. If they are planning to build a rail along from Varsity Lakes to Tugan then all prospects of this are now gone.

This is incorrect.  The corridor between Varsity and Elanora is and always was intended to be largely elevated, and still exists. 

It's going across marsh as well right? I believe there is a tunnel section required just before the airport, surfacing again at the terminal as a surface station. There are tunnel stubs or partial infrastructure inplace already as this was done when the runway was upgraded.

Gold Coast Heavy Rail Extension – Varsity Lakes to Gold Coast Airport

> https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/gold-coast-heavy-rail-extension-varsity-lakes-to-gold-coast-airport

If anybody wants to see the corridor and where it slots in, 2 tools that will assist:

1.  Use the SARA DA Mapping tool at https://dams.dsdip.esriaustraliaonline.com.au/damappingsystem/

Select the following layer - SARA DA Mapping -> State Transport -> Future State Transport Corridor -> Future railway corridor.  You can turn on other layers to see more context, particularly State controlled roads and the preserved indicative light rail alignment.

Then navigate to Varsity Lakes and follow it south.  The corridor ends where it hits the State border, anything further south requires NSW and GC Airport involvement.

2.  Use Queensland Globe at https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/

Activate the "Property" layer which will show cadastral boundaries which should generally match those appearing in the DA Mapping tool.  That doesn't show aerial photography whereas Globe does.

Nearmap or other services may have more recent aerial shots but I expect don't show property boundaries.

Couriermail --> Qld election 2024: David Crisafulli denies LNP has no policies $

QuoteOpposition Leader David Crisafulli claims the LNP has done a "pretty reasonable job " addressing major election issues, despite not yet releasing a detailed policy plan ahead of October.

With just five months until the state election, Mr Crisafulli refused to reveal when exactly the LNP would provide a detailed, costed plan of what the party would implement should it win government, with the hopeful premier saying his party had already put forward plenty of solutions to the four "big issues": youth crime, health, housing and cost of living. ...

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1795478577397604495