Article: Quirk hopes for favours from an old friend

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Quirk hopes for favours from an old friend

Quirk hopes for favours from an old friend
March 30, 2012 - 3:00AM

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has a vast shopping list of projects he wants to put to Premier Campbell Newman and he's hopeful of a friendly year.

High on the agenda is a possible new park 'n' ride station near the Westfield Carindale shopping centre, which was reported by brisbanetimes.com.au earlier this year.

"There is a site here at Carindale that we are looking at currently," Cr Quirk said.

"And that will I believe provide an opportunity for people into the future."

But first, the LNP's Cr Quirk has his own election to win; he faces opposition from Labor's Ray Smith, The Greens' Andrew Bartlett, the Sex Party's Rory Killen and independent Chris Carson.

Whomever wins has a tale to take to the new state government.

High on Cr Quirk's agenda is a plan to link Brisbane City Council's maligned CityCycle scheme to the state government's public transport Go Card; during the state election campaign, the LNP indicated it was very interested, while the ALP rejected the idea out of hand.

Second on the list was a new approach to park 'n' ride stations, Cr Quirk said.

"The former state government had a set policy where they wouldn't do park and rides within 10 kilometres of the CBD," Cr Quirk said.

"Now we have always believes that is a nonsense policy. People won't travel backwards (outbound) to a park 'n' ride to then travel back into the city.

"There needs to be more flexible around that policy."

Labor's council team opposes this idea.

Third would be the redevelopment of the Howard Smith Wharves under the Story Bridge, supported by the LNP council administration, but given the big "no" from the previous ALP state government.

Cr Quirk yesterday put the Brisbane projects in perspective.

"Quite frankly Campbell is in the middle of putting a Cabinet together, putting his director-generals together," he said.

"I am not going to engage him this week in those kinds of issues."

But those talks will come soon.

"Once he has his Cabinet in place, I will be having a range of discussions on a range of fronts," he said.

Before Christmas, Cr Quirk announced the council wanted help from the state government to build a new bus-only bridge from the Cultural Centre to Adelaide Street.

The council has put in the first $20 million for a feasibility study, but within the LNP's first term there will be an approach for financial help.

And then there is the Cross River Rail project, backed by the ALP and questioned by the new LNP government.

Cr Quirk understands he has to wait until Mr Newman – his former boss and the person with whom he developed Brisbane's TransApex projects – settles in as premier.

And he understood there was scarce funds for new capital works programs.

"But I think you will see in the coming weeks a high-level of co-operation between the Premier and the Lord Mayor of this city and what it can do for the state and the state's capital," Cr Quirk said.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/quirk-hopes-for-favours-from-an-old-friend-20120329-1w0zq.html

[achiruel]

I guess Cultural Centre-Adelaide St Bridge is one positive.  Integrating CityCycle into the Go card scheme is also a good idea.  Building more P&R in near-CBD suburbs is horrible though!