Queensland projects on Infrastructure Australia's 2013 Priority List

[Fares_Fair]

Queensland projects on Infrastructure Australia's 2013 Infrastructure Priority List 

Robert MacDonald  •
The Courier-Mail  •
July 03, 2013 12:00AM
 
Queensland projects on Infrastructure Australia's 2013 Infrastructure Priority List 
 
Early stage

Brisbane to Gold Coast Transport Strategy (no value given)*

Brisbane Inner Rail ($302 million)*

Mount Isa to Townsville Rail Corridor upgrade ($575m)*

Bruce Highway road safety projects ($500m)*

Real Potential

Bruce Highway, Carseldine to Caboolture ($123m)*

Abbot Point Multi-Purpose harbour ($3.3 b)

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing ($1.7b)*

Warrego Highway upgrade ($635m)*

Landsborough to Beerburrum rail duplication ($770m)*

Threshold

Northern and Eastern Transitways ($116m)*

Ipswich Motorway upgrade ($558m)*

Gateway Motorway upgrade north ($1.3b)*

Ready to proceed

Brisbane Cross River Rail ($4.45b)

*New or updated submissions since 2012 list

[Stillwater]

Queensland ALP has announced it will target the state seat of Caloundra at the next state election.  Maybe it is time to ramp up campaign for Beerburrum-Landsborough duplication.  Although the track is not in the Caloundra electorate, the people who benefit most directly from the duplication live at Caloundra.  Landsborough has the biggest passenger loading of any station on the SCL.  Maybe someone will be brave enough to stand as a 'PT candidate' in Caloundra and threaten to direct preferences to whichever party inks a guarantee to duplicate as far as Landsborough.

(OR, maybe RailBOT could risk prevailing upon the ALP to pledge duplication to Landsborough should it win government, bearing in mind we have been here before!)

[Stillwater]

Note that Toowoomba Second Range Crossing and Warrego Highway upgrade are in the same category, but are likely to be funded ahead of Beerburrum-Landsborough.  However, they are mega-buck projects, while B-L is listed at $500 million, so the temptation would be to bring it on earlier because that is one priority project you could afford.

The politics works federally also, given that LNP would want to secure Fisher for Mal Brough and kick Clive out of Fairfax.

SEQ mayors back B-L duplication: http://www.councilofmayorsseq.qld.gov.au/docs/2013%20Infrastructure%20Projects/Factsheet_NorthCoastRail.pdf

[ozbob]

Upgrade of the SCL I see as a key issue moving into state election 2015 (may be earlier).

Some of us have had some informal discussions on this and we intend to run a major campaign first half of 2014.

Timing couldn't be better, and lets face it, the political dimension is rather intriguing as well.

[ozbob]

^ Stillwater, thinking of coming up for a ' luncheon ' strategy meeting early December at the  Cooroy Razzle Dazzle ...  will be in touch ...

[Gazza]

How on earth does Landsborough to Beerburum cost 40% of the range crossing price, despite being much shorter, with no tunnels?

[Stillwater]

$10 lunch special still on at the Razzle Dazzle, Ozbob.

[ozbob]

$10 lunch special still on at the Razzle Dazzle, Ozbob.

How does Tuesday 3rd Dec work out?  GympieLander arrives 11.57am ..   

[Stillwater]

You're on.  Coldie will be waiting for you at the bar. 

[ozbob]

   Confirmed

Tuesday 3rd December 2013. Departing Roma St 9.33am arrive Cooroy 11.57am, all welcome!

[Fares_Fair]

  Confirmed

Tuesday 3rd December 2013. Departing Roma St 9.33am arrive Cooroy 11.57am, all welcome!

It is expected to be fairly busy at work around about that time - but will see how it pans out.

Regarding the $770 million cost for Beerburrum to Landsborough - it was around $250 million in 2009. wrong.

"Construction of the $550 million rail corridor is expected to start in early 2009 and be completed by mid-2012," the Minister told State Parliament today.
Minister for Transport & Main Roads  The Honourable Paul Lucas Monday, August 14, 2006

The SEQ Council of Mayors had its cost reported at $500 million (document properties dated 13/05/13)

old news, but relevant ... http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/rail-upgrade-delay-stalls-20m-development/349292/

[Set in train]

From reading about the SCL project, I was stunned to read that the Eastern Busway was to be scaled back to bus lanes from Main Av to Bennetts Rd.

Doesn't even reach Carina let alone Capalaba.

Whilst I agree with bus lanes as an interim measure east of Carindale (grade sep back out onto OCR and across Scrub and Tilley Rds however), this is most ridiculous.

Fault lies with Beattie for not continuing busway roll out once the SEB was complete. Remember he canned the bus lanes (the 5th lanes) from 8MP to Loganholme and generally put the brakes on any major infra spending: road, rail, bus, sea and air.