24 Jan 2013: Queensland: Rail investment for a transport future ...

[ozbob]

Media release 24th January 2013

Queensland: Rail investment for a transport future to get back on track

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers applauds the State Government's application for federal funding for the crucial duplication of the Sunshine Coast Line but notes that the State Government has invested significantly more on freeways, motorways and facilitating Toll Tunnels with little to show for the billions invested.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"We continue to see billions spent on freeway and motorway expansions with little or no overall improvement in traffic speeds, road safety or levels of congestion.  Yet when it comes time to invest in sustainable transport the cupboard is bare and the pleas go out to the Federal Government(1)"

"It is 100% appropriate for the Federal Government to help fund improvements to the Sunshine Coast Line as it a key link in Australia's Transport Network and could play a major role in getting freight and passengers off our roads. But is a bit rich for the Queensland Government to seek funding when it has spent all its own funding on achieving very little."

"It is time for the State Government to accept that over the last 40 years billions of dollars of taxes have been wasted on freeways and road tunnels in South East Queensland.  It is time redirect further road expansion investments into critical rail projects such as the Sunshine Coast Line, Cross River Rail, the Southern-freight Corridor and New Generation Rollingstock and improved stabling facilities - to name a few."

Reference:

1. http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/state-calls-in-help-with-rail-duplication/1727332/

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Reserve Bank board members say the road to riches is more infrastructure spending

Reserve Bank board members say the road to riches is more infrastructure spending
From: The Courier-Mail January 24, 2013 12:00AM

AUSTRALIA must fast-track new roads, railways, bridges and ports to secure prosperity as the mining boom fades, key members of the Reserve Bank have warned.

The construction of Brisbane's $4.4 billion Cross River Rail project is touted as a priority for a fresh wave of national infrastructure spending.

In an interview with The Courier-Mail, central bank board members Heather Ridout and John Edwards said investing in key urban projects would unlock a new cycle of productivity to replace the commodity price boom and continue the 21-year run of growth.

Ms Ridout said short-term considerations had led to under-investment and were holding the nation back. She called on state and federal governments to go into deficit to fund the infrastructure.

"We have under-invested. Congested roads in cities are a major sign that we're not doing well enough," Ms Ridout said.

"We just keep putting short-term considerations before the real work of building a productive economy."

Dr Edwards, a fellow board member and former economic adviser to Paul Keating, warned Australia faced challenges including a high dollar and an ageing population.

"The big investment boom in mining, which has helped the economy over the last six years, is close to a peak," Dr Edwards said.

Success from now on would "take substantial investment in factories, offices and mines, roads, bridges, ports, railways, broadband and, above all, in education and training."

Dr Edwards said the National Broadband Network was the most important piece of infrastructure on the table.

"Australia's future will increasingly depend on our success not only in exporting minerals and farm products, but also clever manufacturers and high-value services."

Michael Deegan, the head of the Federal Government's infrastructure advisory body, Infrastructure Australia, said the collective underspend on urban infrastructure ran to "tens of billions of dollars".

Building the Cross River Rail should be the state's top infrastructure priority, he said.

"We think that Cross River Rail line would be transformational for Brisbane," he said.

The project was declared a national priority more than six months ago but all levels of government are yet to commit funding.

It carries a $4.4 billion price tag, almost half the cost of the original $8.5 billion proposal, later reduced to $6.4 billion, with the state prepared to tip in about 20 per cent.

The revised project includes the construction of two tunnels from Yeerongpilly in the south to Victoria Park in the north, under the CBD and the Brisbane River.

Underground stations will be built at Woolloongabba, Boggo Road, Albert Street and Roma Street.

In the meantime about $300 million will be needed for stop gap measures such as signalling changes and the removal of seats from trains to add another 40 per cent capacity to services.

Queensland is also seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for the Toowoomba second range crossing, and the duplication of the Beerburrum to Landsborough rail line.

Business cases for both projects have been prepared for Infrastructure Australia.

Queensland's Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said federal investment in the state's transport infrastructure had fallen well behind that of Victoria and NSW.

He said the Newman Government had already shown it could deliver projects cheaper than had been proposed by Labor, with the Cross River Rail bill cut from $6.4 billion.

"But without the Federal Government kicking in 80 per cent funding, we won't be able to afford it," Mr Emerson said.

"There are a number of other projects such as the duplication of the Beerburrum to Landsborough rail line that were previously promised by Labor and forgotten about, that we have now resubmitted to the Federal Government."

Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said he would be guided by advice from the Queensland Government and Infrastructure Australia when allocating funding.

Ms Ridout is calling on governments, state and federal, to go into deficit, if necessary, to fund the infrastructure or to find ways to harness the savings sitting in superannuation accounts.

"That capital will end up overseas if we don't create the opportunities here to invest in long term, high yielding projects," Ms Ridout said.

Better education was also "absolutely 101" to our future, she said.

"Every year the skill content of jobs is rising and if you haven't got those skills you're going to get marginalised in an economy like Australia's."

She warned securing the next 10 years of income growth would be more difficult than the last 10.

"How we make the transition to this more diversified growth model is a big big issue for Australia and just because we have had 21 years of growth doesn't mean it happens automatically. It doesn't."

Dr Edwards said he remained hopeful Australians could successfully transition from a commodities boom to a high skills boom. "It won't be easy, but it can be done. The last twenty five years have shown us that."

Jessica Irvine, Robyn Ironside and Steven Scott

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Discussion thread Cross River Rail --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2034.msg117974#msg117974