Queensland Hansard - Nambour Rail Line, Upgrade

[Fares_Fair]

Nambour Rail Line, Upgrade

Mr WELLINGTON (Nicklin—Ind) (11.49 am): With the federal election inching closer, I use this
opportunity  to  remind  the  Newman  government  and  federal  candidates  of  the  significant  benefits
which will flow for the greater Sunshine Coast region from the upgrade and duplication of the railway
line from Brisbane to Nambour, situated in the hinterland of the greater Sunshine Coast. 
Only  yesterday  I  joined  with  my  wife  at  Nambour  Meals  on  Wheels.  We  saw  the  almost
complete  demolition  of  the  building  opposite  the  Nambour  Railway  Station  which  will  provide  the
chance  for  additional  car  parking.  More  importantly,  there  is  a  wonderful  opportunity  for  the  next
federal government to speak powerfully  with the current Newman government to put money  on the
table  so  that  the  upgrade  and  duplication—an  important  nation-building  project—can  happen
tomorrow. One reason I support Clive Palmer in his bid to win the seat of Fairfax on the hinterland of
the Sunshine Coast is that Mr Palmer agrees with me—

Government members interjected. 
Mr DEPUTY  SPEAKER  (Dr Robinson):  Order!  Members  will  cease  interjecting.  The  member
has not taken interjections. Members shall cease interjecting. 
Mr WELLINGTON:  Mr Palmer  is  like  me:  we  will  not  simply  sit  here  and  do  what  the  party
requires us to do. If we can get Mr Palmer elected he will stand up in federal parliament and speak
passionately about the issues and needs of the greater Sunshine Coast region, and hopefully all of
Australia.  So  he  is  like  me;  we  are  loose  cannons.  We  will  stand  up  and  speak  on  issues  we  are
passionate about. 
The  duplication  and  upgrade  of  this  important  railway  line  is  a  nation-building  project.  It
presents  significant  local  job  creation  opportunities.  On  the  weekend  I  attended  two  of  my  local
kindergartens. Some of the family members there spoke about how they are part of the fly-in fly-out
family  network.  On  the  Sunshine  Coast,  in  Nambour,  families  have  to  send  the  breadwinner  off  to
somewhere else in Queensland because there are not enough jobs created in our region. 
Mr Palmer shares with me the view that if the federal and state governments put real money on
the table this nation-building project would create significant jobs. More importantly, it would be the
spark we need to drive the economic boom of the greater Sunshine Coast region. At the close of the
last sitting of parliament—
Government members interjected. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Those on my right will cease interjecting. The member has the
call. 
Mr WELLINGTON:  I  did  not  realise  government  members  were  so  sensitive.  But  I  suppose
Mr Palmer will see a similar response from the Liberal National Party if we can get him to Canberra. 
As I returned to my home after the last sitting of parliament I joined many commuters—
Government members interjected. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! 
Mr WELLINGTON: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. They are sensitive about Mr Palmer. As I
returned home to my wife on the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast at the close of the last sitting of
parliament, I joined many people on our train. Who was on the train with me? I saw students returning
to their families, workers returning home and other people. 
Mr Cox: And dinosaurs. 
Mr WELLINGTON: They were not dinosaurs; they were Queenslanders returning to their loved
ones who live between Brisbane and Nambour on the Sunshine Coast. At each railway station along
the way some people got off and some got on. Many people want to commute by train, but the reality
is  that  our  rail  line  needs  to  be  upgraded.  Only  this  morning  I  thought,  'I'll  drive  to  Brisbane.'  I  left
home at 4.30 in the morning. Why? Because I knew the Bruce Highway would be so congested. As I
drove from Belli Park into Nambour and down the highway I went past the Maroochydore entry point,
the Caloundra entry point and so on all the way to Brisbane. At each entry point more and more cars
joined the highway with their lights on to drive all the way to Brisbane. We need a new way—a Clive
Palmer way. On polling day I will stand with Clive Palmer and his supporters to say there is a new
way—a Mr Palmer way. 
Mr Crandon interjected. 
Mr WELLINGTON: I do not care if other people like that slogan or not. I am prepared to say
that I like the slogan. 
Mr Crandon interjected. 
Mr DEPUTY  SPEAKER:  The  member  for  Coomera  will  cease  interjecting.  The  member  for
Nicklin has the call. 
Mr WELLINGTON: They do not like the mention of Mr Palmer. By crikey, if Mr Palmer gets to
Canberra  they  will  not  like  it  because  he  will  be  a  loose  cannon.  He  will  stand  up  and  speak  for
Queensland. 
(Time expired)

[Fares_Fair]

I contacted Mr Palmer via the APN blog held on 14 August, 2013.

His response was obfuscation at best to a rational question.
My question was along the lines of this:

What do you think of the Beerburrum to Nambour rail duplication?

Here is Mr Palmer's response which I tweeted:

Jeff Addison ‏@Jeffrey_Addison  14 Aug 
we may need more than duplication we need to revolutionise the who[le] sic transport system for the sunshine coast roads [cut short] it said rail and air from memory.

I then told the Hon Warren Truss that the NCL   duplication had a cost benefit ratio of 2.285, which he said was very good.
Here was his reply which I tweeted.

Jeff Addison ‏@Jeffrey_Addison  14 Aug 
Mr Clive Palmer: warren truss  knows nothing and spends all his time in Canberra having lunch

Says it all really.
It was a waste of my time.

I do appreciate the efforts of the member for Nicklin, Mr Wellington MP, to keep this issue alive in the parliament.

[Stillwater]

The tweets and interjections are sad examples of how this matter is seen through the prism of party and parochial politics, personal battles and federal-state disputes over who pays.  The genuine facts and countless reports - all undertaken by reputable groups and organisations - showing the line needs to be duplicated matter for nought in the fog of cr%p surrounding this issue.  The pollies, collectively, should be ashamed of their treatment of Sunshine Coast rail commuters.