Infrastructure Funding for Queensland

[Stillwater]

Today's Australian newspaper makes for interesting reading.  Several stories forecast a new relationship between the states and the feds in the areas of infrastructure spending and transport and land-use integration.

Here are some isolated extract and quotes that give the flavour of the fed's thinking:

"Federal Cabinet has signed off on plans to use $6 billion in annual infrastructure spending to strike new deals with the states to grow the nation's big cities, including a proposal to set up legislated authorities to take politics out of planning.  The decision clears the way for a push to set up major projects as independent agencies to prevent politicians scrapping work already funded by Canberra ....

"States would also have to commit to integrated planning to justify federal support for projects such as motorways and metro rail, as part of an agenda that could favour urban density over suburban sprawl.

"Mr Briggs (cities minister) told The Australian that the federal outlays on urban infrastructure had to be linked to better planning on everything from housing to roads. 'At the moment, we just hand over money and we rely on the states to do what they say they will do. Housing outcomes, environmental outcomes – we would define in agreements about what we would want.'

He indicated the government could use its infrastructure budget as a lever to encourage long-term planning around major infrastructure projects.

Briggs again: "If the prime minister gave me $5 billion or $10 billion today and said 'I want a public transport project in every capital city up and running before the federal election, we couldn't do it.  There is no plan there.  The states are very good at their 30-year vision, but the hard-edge plans for infrastructure, or investment products, are not there.  We have to think about whether we have to get more involved in incentivising the work being done earlier on in projects (planning) because at the moment the states basically wait for the money to be allocated, then say 'right, we'll get on with it'.  That's why it takes so long for projects to get up and running."

The newspaper also reports that the feds are thinking about establishing 'project authorities' to manage major projects so as to take implementation out of the hands of politicians, and outside the election cycle mayhem to prevent stop-start, change of scope activities.

Basically everything the feds are thinking through their new Cities Ministry is what RailBOT members have been banging on in this forum over several years.  Screams from George Street in the direction of Canberra along the lines of SHOW US THE MONEY refer to an old paradigm and just won't work.

Canberra is signalling that in future, its funding will come with several strings attached to engineer a good outcome, and land-use planning and transport will be linked even more closely.  A discussion paper outlining the feds thinking will be released in February, about the same time as the Qld Government says it will have a list of major projects it wants funded.  CRR, version whatever, and SCL duplication would have to be high on the list.

[ozbob]

Thanks for that erudite analysis Mr Stillwater

Being proved right gives us all a warm inner glow no doubt.   Bit like the firebox on tank loco E371.  Some things are just obvious - politicisation of infrastructure has not worked out well at all.

The new found infrastructure and city visions are yet to see reality.  Still it is a start.  Guess the plans and visions have to all be redone.  So we can add another 10 years or so to anything much. 

Maybe we need a new naming competition for the Brisbane Metro System - I am sure BUMS will resurface ...

[Stillwater]

This is the reality in Queensland today.

"If the prime minister gave me $5 billion or $10 billion today and said 'I want a public transport project in every capital city up and running before the federal election, we couldn't do it." -- Jamie Briggs (Cities Minister).

If Queensland was given $1 billion to spend on public transport, it would be three years before the first dollar was spent.  Despite all the bluster, this state is woefully ill-prepared, with no real projects on the shelf, waiting to go.  Other states have shovel-ready projects in the pipeline and Queensland cries foul when they get the Commonwealth money. 

Forget SHOW ME THE MONEY (the mantra of the Queensland Government when screaming for fed money for infrastructure) and SHOW US THE PLANNING (hard-edge planning, not glossy brochures).

[verbatim9]

Qld Government will get bonus payments as promised by Scott Morrison if Qldlabor can agree and take on the reforms of the Harper review. Hope its not an unconditional cheque as I don't want the extra funds going to pay for Public Service pay rises and bonus payments. The payments should be conditional from a infrastructure plan submitted and costed.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Cranes & construction hide the reality that is Brisbane's $50 billion infrastructure black hole

[ozbob]

Media Statements
Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk
Sunday, February 14, 2016

Queensland secures key Cabinet posts, now time for action

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has welcomed the appointment of Queenslanders to key Ministries in the latest Federal Cabinet reshuffle, but warned action was now overdue on projects and initiatives across the State.

Ms Palaszczuk said entrusting Queensland with the Ministries for Trade and Investment (Steven Ciobo), and Northern Australia (Senator Matthew Canavan) was consistent with the jobs, economic development and innovation agenda of her Government.

"Since we formed government 12 months ago, more than 60,000 new jobs have been created in Queensland and our exports increased by more than 12% to almost $50 billion," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"We need the Federal Government to play its part, and we urge the new Ministers to prioritise Queensland.

"I also welcome the appointment of Jane Prentice as Assistant Minister for Disability Services. The delivery of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is a key objective for my Government."

The Premier said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull needed to commit to a series of projects and initiatives when he visited Queensland in coming days.

These include:

    funding for infrastructure projects across the State including:
        Cross River Rail
        Ipswich Motorway (Rocklea to Darra)
        Mount Isa to Townsville rail corridor
        additional Bruce Highway upgrades
        Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade
        repairing $18 billion cuts to Federal health and education spending in Queensland;
    confirming the Australian Defence Force's Pacific Patrol Boat construction and maintenance tender for Cairns;
    matching the Palaszczuk Government's $100 million for North Queensland Stadium, Townsville;
    accelerating the timeframe for legislating and operating the $5 billion Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility; and
    guaranteeing cuts to CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology will not impact on jobs and services in Queensland, particularly the Australian Tropical Herbarium in Cairns.