2010 ESTIMATES COMMITTEES MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT

[ozbob]

2010 ESTIMATES COMMITTEES

Estimates Committee C – Mr O'Brien (Chair), Ms Farmer, Mr Moorhead, Mrs Pratt,
Mr Seeney, Ms Simpson and Ms van Litsenburg

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/committees/documents/EC/2010%20%20Order%20of%20appointment.pdf

15th July 2010

MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT
Queensland Rail
1:15pm – 1.45pm
Department of Transport
1.45pm– 3.00pm
Break
3.00pm– 3.15pm
Department of Transport
3.15pm – 4.15pm

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/committees/documents/EC/hearings/2010/Est%20C.pdf

Live broadcast --> http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/chamber/

[ozbob]

Live now ...

[ozbob]

Interesting.  Announcement by the Minister of a rail bus service to fill the evening gap Caboolture to Nambour.  RAIL BoT got a mention too ..  

Timetable reviews confirmed.

Hansard will be available later today I expect.

[#Metro]

"first new rail spur line to be constructed in many many decades"...!  

It looks like Ferny Grove will get a proper interchange.

Feed me! Feed me!  feeder  feeder feeder  feeder

[ozbob]

It looks like Ferny Grove will get a proper interchange.

Yes!  Penny has finally dropped? 

[Golliwog]

Hansard is supposed to be available in 2 hours from now.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Households struggling with price hikes: frontbencher

Households struggling with price hikes: frontbencher
DANIEL HURST
July 15, 2010 - 5:00PM

A Bligh government frontbencher has acknowledged households are struggling with the spiralling cost of living and they want the government to limit price rises.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan came under fire over the government's plan to double the cost of obtaining a driver licence during a budget estimates session at State Parliament this afternoon.

Ms Nolan defended the rollout of more secure card technology, which will see the cost of obtaining a five year licence increase from $73.30 this year to $152.50 by 2014-15.

But she tried to sympathise with households battling with the rising cost of living, following recent increases in the cost of motor vehicle registration, tolls, electricity, water and other matters.

"I'm the Member for Ipswich," Ms Nolan told the budget estimates committee.

"I very well understand people need government costs to stay down as much as they can as for many people it is a genuine challenge to manage their household budgets from day to day."

Ms Nolan said people needed to be convinced they were getting value for money when prices increased.

She held up an example of the existing laminated driver licence and an example of the new licence, which would include holograms, special inks, a security laminate overlay, a foil patch, watermark and a digital chip to confirm identity details.

"This is a much more secure form of identification for the people of Queensland and that is exactly what they will get for their money," she said.

More than 70,000 people have now signed an electronic petition against the price hike.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson, who was questioning Ms Nolan about the issue at the estimates hearing, said the government's driver licence rollout had been marked by bungling, delays and cost blowouts.

Ms Simpson pointed to a rise in the total estimated cost of the driver licence project, from $84 million last year to $113 million this year.

Ms Nolan said more information had emerged about police costs, changes to police stations and changes to Queensland Transport customer service centres.

Decisions had since been made about how the card technology would integrate with Queensland Transport's existing IT system, she said.

Ms Nolan said the government had originally planned to provide the new licences through a public-private partnership, but abandoned that model in 2007 because it would not provide best value for money for taxpayers.

The Transport Minister seized on comments by RACQ spokesman Gary Fites that the proposed licence price increases for motorists were justifiable.

"I don't think anyone could argue [the existing licence] was an appropriate primary form of identification in this modern world," she said.

Ms Nolan is also being questioned at the estimates hearing about Go Cards, the speed camera rollout and the privatisation of Queensland Rail's coal freight business.

[ozbob]

Hansard for Transport session click --> here!

[ozbob]

From the North Queensland Register 22nd July 2010 page 5

Cattle train hike to impact on roads

Cattle train hike to impact on roads

The decision to increase fees for cattle train services would see thousands of extra heavy truck movements on Queensland's already overloaded roads.

That was the warning expressed at an estimates hearing last week about the implications of government's decision to raise cattle train charges by 12 percent.

The 12 percent hike in QR cattle train charges is likely to turn cattle producers to choose road transport. And that could result in an additional 5200 B-Double truck movements a year on Queensland's already congested roads - especially for slaughter cattle coming to the major meatworks around Brisbane.

Government provided no answers when questioned about the impact of the higher fees.

It is expected the reduced cattle train services will have an unfavourable impact on major meat processors in the state.