Queensland State Election 31st January 2015

[ozbob]

Seems like they changed.  I had heard the Mark Bailey was a likely Transport and Main Roads Minister.  They have now split Transport and Main Roads again as it was in earlier ALP Governments.   Mark Bailey is Minister for Main Roads amongst other things.

I have had a number of meetings with the now Deputy Premier in her role as opposition transport over the years.  I also participated in virtual town hall meetings in the Rudd byelection which Ms. Trad chaired.

There will be no competitive bus tendering now, only continuation of negotiated contracting.  Network reform will still occur, has to really.  Will be as it was in the previous ALP reign, progressive incremental changes.

The other interesting thing is Dave Stewart (a former TMR DG) is to be DG for Premier.

The Premier is also a former transport Minister.

[ozbob]

And to be blunt.  Labor is going to have to start delivering improvements.  Fare reform is probably the first thing.  The reality is the Govt is on a knife edge.  No gains could go over at any time. 

Ms Trad has a considerable challenge now in terms of portfolio workload, as do a number of other Ministers.  This is not necessarily a bad thing as micro-managing may well be minimised and the authorities allowed to get on with it. Sunshine Coast Line progress could be facilitated by the portfolio suite.

Something has to happen re Cross River Rail as well.

[techblitz]

with lots of union influence over the whole picture....i precit just minor cosmetic changes to the BT network...
the waste has been identified...including plenty by brisbane transport drivers themselves...eg: ocr,maroon glider

personally....i want the late night buz waste and off-uni timetabling adjusted....pour the savings into an extra buz route...either the 300 or 235 and extension of the 196 to yeronga
also a focus on more truncation at the gabba.....117 seems to have picked up...with some services having 10 or so people hopping on from the gabba....its proof that people have no issues with same platform "hop off,hop on" transfers
i dont support truncation at indro until translink pull thier fingers out and provide all round access to ticketing via an installed a.v.m

[ozbob]

Yo, that is the sort of thing that could  & should occur.  It is one thing being in opposition, the reality of Government is an entirely different matter.

[James]

There will be no competitive bus tendering now, only continuation of negotiated contracting.  Network reform will still occur, has to really.  Will be as it was in the previous ALP reign, progressive incremental changes.

The other interesting thing is Dave Stewart (a former TMR DG) is to be DG for Premier.

The Premier is also a former transport Minister.

I think you're being too optimistic, Bob. ALP has attempted no reform in prior terms of government, and has just sought to block reform at every turn and offer no plan in return. Furthermore, the ALP is controlled by the unions, and from my interactions with the RTBU at the 'Hands off Our Buses' protest, they don't give a rats about the commuters. It is all about them and their wages and a few token grannies.

Government on a knife edge = not much rocking of the boat. I don't think we're going to see a wide-scale reform of the network. Soft efficiencies are the most I expect to see from this government.

[mufreight]

The appointment of Mr Stewart as DG is less that the best choice from the transport point of view for rail with the previous bias towards road transport while he was in running transport

[ozbob]

Cards have been dealt.  Use them wisely ...

[#Metro]

Jackie Trad opposed a lot of improvements, I guess she's in the hot seat now.

The Lord Mayor will be first knocking on her door asking for 21% funding increase, which will no doubt put her in a hard position, as either fares will have to go up massively (again) or more money drawn from budget (which with no asset sales is going to be very lacking in funds).

[pandmaster]

Shouldn't it be Peter Wellington being sworn as he has all the power now 

No. He only agreed to support confidence and supply. The ALP can get legislation through with the support any one of Wellington, one KAP or one LNP.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Transport for NSW director-general Dave Stewart quits after a year in the job

[bagbuffy]

It's getting pretty old blaming Labor for everything. Yes you can "blame" Labor for there failures in  the past, but over the last 3 years it's been 110% LNP's fault as well as the LNP City Council. Blaming Labor for the last 3yrs  is a pathetic excuse for the LNP's dropping the ball over public transport.

It's about better Public Transport no matter who is in Government, not about making excuses for the team you follow!

[ozbob]

Twitter

Michael Coombes ‏@MichaelCoombes 25 seconds ago

BREAKING: The LNP will not challenge the Ferny Grove result. Qld's election result stands. #qldpol @7NewsBrisbane

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Final Queensland Election Results, Preferences and a New Pendulum

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/great-expectations.html
Expectations of the new government?

[ozbob]

[SurfRail]

Very sensibly they have given Shadow A-G to Ian Walker, a real lawyer.

[ozbob]

Details of sittings for the 55th Parliament will be made available today according to media reports.

[STB]

And still we have Scott Emerson...urgh.  At least this time as the Shadow Transport Minister rather than being the Transport Minister.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Jason Tin ‏@jasonthetin 16 seconds ago

.@AnnastaciaMP to nominate independent Peter Wellington for Speaker role. Parly to resume March 24. #qldpol

[SurfRail]

That's a very positive sign I think.

There should be a lot less in the way of shenanigans from either side now.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Chris O'Brien ‏@COBrienBris 11m

Prem @AnnastaciaMP to set up inquiry into 4-year terms. @abcnews #qldpol

[SurfRail]

Good!

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland Parliament fixed terms on agenda

[pandmaster]

Fantastic news! Though we all know how little "studies" and "inquiries" actually mean. Fingers crossed though.

I do not think it is necessary to have a referendum for this. Have any other states with fixed terms done this? None that I am aware of.

[SurfRail]

^ I'd have to look up the State constitution to give you an answer on that - depends on what the entrenched provisions are.

[#Metro]

About time. Cross River Rail plans getting shredded every time a new election is coming up is just silly.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

16th September 2015

Fixed four-year terms good for infrastructure

Greetings,

We welcome the announcement that the Queensland Government will consider 4 year terms. Large, long-term, and expensive projects such as Cross River Rail require stable financial and political commitments. The three-year election cycle just isn't cutting it.

The Cross River Rail / BaT / Cross River Rail II project is an excellent example of how this dysfunction can threaten the basic functioning of a city.

The original plan was on the expensive side, but ticked all the boxes for functionality.

Then that was scrapped, and the Cleveland Solution, backed by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and the SEQ Council of Mayors, emerged.  Under-costed and over-hyped, it neglected the physical existence of both the Goodwill and Kurilpa bridges. There were also many other things that were 'not quite right' with that proposal.

Then came the 'no acronyms' Newman BaT tunnel proposal. Our members looked at it and noticed that key indicators of project viability - the BCR and NPV -  were significantly inferior against the original Cross River Rail project.

Now, that too has been scrapped. So much time has passed that the original calculations are now totally out of date. No doubt the cost has escalated during that time enormously also. Nobody knows whether the rail tunnel will travel under George St or Albert Street or whether it will have a station at Park Rd or not, or whether it will continue on the Exhibition Line or not.

After seven years of animations, reports, alignment optimisation, studies, media releases and talking, a notice recently appeared on a Queensland Government website calling for expressions of interest into 'preliminary' works for Cross River Rail. So we will have to start all over again, again.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

References:

Queensland Government flags raising parliamentary terms to four years
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-15/queensland-government-flags-four-year-parliamentary-terms/6776736

Finance and Administration Committee (to run inquiry)
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-committees/committees/fac#

Project Evaluation Support for the Cross River Rail Project
https://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/qtenders/tender/display/tender-details.do?id=16046&action=display-tender-details

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow 40s

Latest: ' Fixed four-year terms good for infrastructure '

> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10217.msg161433#msg161433 ... #qldpol

@AnnastaciaMP @jackietrad @TMRQld @SpringborgMP

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 17th September 2015 page 15

Four year parliamentary terms welcomed

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

20th November 2015

Queensland - The Banana State?

Greetings,

The unstable political cycle and inability to raise stable funding have real costs. We find support for this view.

ERMG, an ASX-listed company has said in a report:

"Political volatility, particularly with regards to the change in government in Queensland, and the increased costs associated with expansion into other states and countries were primary contributors to the lower than budgeted result.  ERMG will continue to consider potential liquidity options, however remain concerned and frustrated with the extent of political volatility and government in Australia at both Federal and State levels." (emphasis added)

We have previously called for four-year electoral terms, consideration of proportional representation in the Queensland Parliament and stable funding (such as from land tax reforms) to provide certainty for both Government direction and the private sector.

Funding and political instability ruin projects. The textbook example is Cross River Rail - after seven years of animations, reports, alignment optimisation, studies, media releases, and talking, no concrete end-product has been produced.

How can the Queensland Government credibly commit to following its upcoming State Infrastructure Plan (SIP) if it cannot raise its own revenue to pay for projects, or political instability means that the SIP is at risk of being scrapped by another incoming administration?

The over-reliance on Australian Government funding means that the Australian Government appears to have more control over what gets built in Queensland than the Queensland Government. In the long term, this situation is likely to worsen as much of the state's income comes from coal and worldwide there is a movement to phase out coal for energy generation.

Major reforms both in the Queensland Parliament and in the way Queensland raises revenue need to be pushed through to secure funding and political certainty for projects such as Cross River Rail before Queensland becomes a failed banana state.

Best wishes,

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Reference:

Fixed four-year terms good for infrastructure
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10217.msg161433#msg161433

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Annastacia Palaszczuk promises 'year of delivery' on one year anniversary of Labor Government

[#Metro]

There has been some progress.

GC LRT extension was approved, for example.

It just shows how deeply dependant on the Federal Government the QLD Government has become, for both funding and planning

direction.

I still don't get why the Federal Government has an interest in Townsville Stadium.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> One year on, Qld govt needs more than 'We're not Newman'

... It still can't give a clear answer on the Adani Carmichael mine.  The public transport fare review it commissioned is languishing in the halls of bureaucracy as it seeks "clear air" to deal with its alcohol-fuelled violence laws ...

[dancingmongoose]

Seems like some indian politicians have good priorities

[achiruel]

I still don't get why the Federal Government has an interest in Townsville Stadium.

I don't get why any Government has an interest in Townsville Stadium.

Seeing as the NRL represent about 99% of the use of it, maybe they can use some of their buckets of money to build one themselves.