Joint Statement: Cross River Rail heads funding bid

[ozbob]

Joint Statement:

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Anna Bligh

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe
23/12/2010

Cross River Rail heads funding bid

The Cross River Rail project has topped the State Government's 2011 funding submission to Infrastructure Australia (IA).

In announcing Queensland's list of projects for potential Federal Government funding in 2011, Premier Anna Bligh said Cross River Rail met IA's key goal of funding projects that could build national productivity and transform cities.

Ms Bligh said the project was one of a number that would benefit the entire state and Australia as a whole. These key projects also include the private sector Mount Isa to Townsville High Voltage Electricity Transmission Line (CopperString).

"By 2026, South East Queensland will be home to one in seven Australians, and we need to ensure that key pieces of infrastructure are planned for now," she said.

"Cross River Rail is Queensland's highest priority for consideration for Australian Government funding. It's a project of national significance and will make Queenslandamore internationally competitive place.

"Infrastructure Australia has already recognised this by contributing $20 million towards the detailed feasibility study.

"Our submission also supports major private and national initiatives throughout the state which will create a new industrial and transport hub for large-scale industries, as an integral part of our Northern Economic Triangle (NET) initiative.

"The Mount Isa to Townsville High Voltage Electricity Transmission Line (CopperString) project, a private sector proposal, will support the NET initiative and presents an opportunity to improve the efficiency and productivity of Queensland's principal mineral mining region.''

Meeting IA's reform agenda for freight is new project, the Warrego Highway Upgrade Program. This project joins the previously submitted Toowoomba Second Range Road Crossing and the Gateway Motorway Upgrade North projects for which the State Government will continue to seek financial support.

The two Toowoomba projects will play a vital role in supporting future economic development associated with the Surat Basin and other coal and energy sectors.

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe said with an estimated 1000 additional trucks per day expected to use the Warrego Highway as a result of coal and LNG developments in the Surat Basin, a second range crossing would reduce stress on the already busy road.

He said it would also provide a faster and safer route by reducing gradients and diverting traffic from urban areas.

The full project list is as follows:

Queensland Government submission - priority projects

Cross River Rail
Eastern Busway

Private sector and national submissions of significance to Queensland

Abbot Point Multi-Purpose Cargo Facility
Mount Isa to Townsville High Voltage Electricity Transmission Line (CopperString Project)

National Managed Motorways

Infrastructure to Support Indigenous Communities

Queensland Government submission - projects for inclusion in the Pipeline

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing
Freight Connections to State Development Areas
Warrego Highway Upgrade Program (Helidon - Morven) - Stage 1
Gateway Motorway Upgrade North (Nudgee Road - Bruce Highway)

Other Queensland projects in the Pipeline

Bruce Highway Corridor Upgrades
Pacific Motorway Upgrades
Port of Brisbane Motorway
Gold Coast Heavy Rail Capacity Upgrades and Extension to Elanora
Mount Isa to Townsville Rail Corridor (Plus Eastern Access Co rridor)
Darra to Springfield Rail and Road Project
Moreton Bay Rail

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[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Underground rail funding at top of state's wish list

Underground rail funding at top of state's wish list
Tony Moore
December 23, 2010 - 6:00AM

Brisbane's $8 billion underground rail project has been put at the top of a wish list for federal funding by the State Government.

Premier Anna Bligh today released Queensland's requests for federal funding to Infrastructure Australia, the body that complies a national priority list of infrastructure projects around the country.

Successful requests for funding will be announced mid-next year, around the time of the release of the federal budget.

The Cross River Rail Project is desperately needed to keep pace with southeast Queensland's growing population, Ms Bligh said.

"Cross River Rail is Queensland's highest priority for consideration for Australian Government funding," she said.

"It's a project of national significance and will make Queensland a more internationally competitive place.''

The Cross River Rail project will involve the construction of four underground stations around inner Brisbane, including at Albert Street in the CBD; near the Roma Street station; at Woolloongabba; and at the Boggo Road Urban Village in Dutton Park.

n 2009, the Federal Government provided $20 million to scope out the potential of the project, but it now needs significant federal and private sector funding to make it viable, Ms Bligh said.

Final plans for the project were released last month.

Queensland's submission for the project put a request for funds for the next stages of the Eastern Busway at number two on the wish list.

Backing for North Queensland projects was also sought, Ms Bligh said.

Queensland's wish list for federal funding:

  1. Cross River Rail
  2. Eastern Busway
  3. Abbot Point Multi-Purpose Cargo Facility
  4. Mount Isa to Townsville High Voltage Electricity Transmission Line
  5. Toowoomba Second Range Crossing
  6. Warrego Highway Upgrade Program (Helidon - Morven) - Stage 1
  7. Gateway Motorway Upgrade North (Nudgee Road - Bruce Highway)
  8. Bruce Highway Corridor Upgrades
  9. Pacific Motorway Upgrades
 10. Port of Brisbane Motorway
 11. Gold Coast Heavy Rail Capacity Upgrades and Extension to Elanora
 12. Mount Isa to Townsville Rail Corridor (plus Eastern Access Corridor)
 13. Darra to Springfield Rail and Road Project
 14. Moreton Bay Rail

[Stillwater]

The list is interesting from a number of perspectives.  The standout is that major public transport projects head the list, with the first major road project appearing only at No. 5 on a list of 14.  Among the road projects what stands out is the relatively placement of a Second Range Crossing and Warrego Highway upgrade compared with the ongoing Bruce Highway improvement program.  Curiously Darra-Springfield road and rail and Moreton Bay Rail are at the bottom of the list because they are already funded or subject to a commitment for funding.

Also of interest is the strong connection, in a Queensland contect, between economic growth/development and infrastructure -- Port of Brisbane Motorway, sea terminal upgrades and works serving the Surat Basin development.

Disappointing, and somewhat surprising, is that there is no mention of NCL improvements, as these would have a complementary function to the Bruce Highway (ability to trasfer freight movements from road to rail).  Clearly road is the mode the State Government prefers in the eastern seaboard corridor.

Obviously, CAMCOS remains a glint in the eye of transport planners, so one must dismiss as mere hype and wishful thinking musings from Anna Bligh about fast express services taking just over an hour from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane.  The message there is how can we ramp up and make do with the current alignment to Nambour, unless the Caboolture-Nambour realignment remains  a state-funded project not subject to a cash injection from Infrastructure Australia.

The timing of IA's announcement of successful project bids is worthy of mention also. July 2011.  Success for CRR and the Eastern Busway will enable the Bligh Government to campaign heavily across a swag of Brisbane seats, waving plates of pork beneath the nostrils of voters in the lead up to the state election in March 2012.

[Stillwater]

The 'sweet spot' in politics comes when a much-desired piece of infrastructure is also most needed, proven after proper evaluation, AND also happens to fall within marginal electorates.   The influence and benefit of CRR falls over a much wider area than where it sits geographically.  That makes it electorally appealing from a state perspective.

Queensland electorates where federal Labor needs a boost are Brisbane, Moreton and Lilley.  From the list, the projects that affect these electorates most directly are CRR, Eastern Busway Extension, Port of Brisbane Motorway and Gateway Motorway North upgrade.  Herbert, based on Townsville, is another seat that needs political attention.  Surprise, there are projects there also.  Gold Coast projects support the Rankin electorate.

It's a nice fit for the political junkies.

[O_128]

would rather sunshine coast upgrades rather than eastern busway

[#Metro]

CAMCOS, where is CAMCOS?
Isn't the Sunshine Coast part of QLD anymore? 

I don't know about the Eastern Busway. The expense is the killer IMHO.
Issues raised by local pollies too.

There is a road reserve previously used by trams, a median, at grade busway like LA's orange line BRT might be cheaper and hold the fort while funds are scraped together for this project.

[SteelPan]

DOES the proposed 2nd Toowoomba Range Crossing INCL rail? 

[somebody]

DOES the proposed 2nd Toowoomba Range Crossing INCL rail? 

With the Wondoan-Banana link, apparently going through, I don't think it needs to for capacity reasons.

[mufreight]

DOES the proposed 2nd Toowoomba Range Crossing INCL rail? 

With the Wondoan-Banana link, apparently going through, I don't think it needs to for capacity reasons.

Unfortunately the proposed inland rail line is planned to be routed through Toowoomba, the only positive from this is that a new rail line on a new alignment will have to be built to accomodate this line, the negative in this is that the proposed operation of double stacked container trains renders impractical the extension of electrification west of Rosewood for passenger services.