Article: Council seeks state govt funding to tackle congestion

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Council seeks state govt funding to tackle congestion

Council seeks state govt funding to tackle congestion
Tony Moore | September 2, 2008 - 1:12PM

Brisbane City Council (BCC) needs $300 million from the state government and other sources for its $1.2 billion four-year road program to tackle city congestion.

Most of  that $300 million is for work at three congested rail crossings in Brisbane.

But the State Government is yet to allocate any money because it has not seen any proposals to fund the rail crossings.

Traditionally BCC puts in one-third of the cost of rail crossings.

However, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has put the state government on notice that he wants to accelerate the rail crossings and has offered to pay 50 per cent of the cost.

The $165 million Robinson Road rail crossing at Geebung is the first rail crossing project to be examined.

The project got the go-ahead from Brisbane City Council last week, but needs state government funds to move ahead.

Last week a spokesman for Transport Minister John Mickel confirmed no "business cases" for rail crossings had been received from BCC.

A representative from the Geebung rail group will speak at today's council meeting.

Labor councillors Kim Flesser and Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton this morning questioned Infrastructure Committee chairman Cr Graham Quirk about BCC requesting state government funds.

Cr Quirk said he gave a draft business case for the Geebung rail crossing to Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Paul  Lucas two weeks ago.

The formal business case is expected within days.

Property resumptions involving two blocks of land are underway at Geebung.