Queensland made bus plan

[ozbob]

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96967

Palaszczuk Government committed to Queensland made bus bonanza
18th January 2023

JOINT STATEMENT

Acting Premier and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
The Honourable Dr Steven Miles

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water
The Honourable Glenn Butcher

The Palaszczuk Government will boost Queensland's local manufacturing industry to make buses for Queensland, by Queenslanders, in Queensland.

Acting Premier Steven Miles said the Palaszczuk Government backed jobs for Queenslanders.

"There's no reason we can't build more buses right here in Queensland, for Queenslanders, by Queenslanders," the Acting Premier said.

"That's why the Government will be working with the manufacturing industry to create a pipeline of Queensland jobs in the bus manufacturing sector.

"It was a Labor Government that brought rail manufacturing back to Maryborough, and it's a Labor Government that will support bus manufacturing job right here in the Sunshine State.

"Because buses are better when they're built in Queensland."

The Queensland Government will conduct market sounding to assess industry capacity.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the announcement would help to deliver Queensland's zero emission bus targets.

"We have committed to seeing every new Translink bus be zero emission in South East Queensland from 2025, and in the regions between 2025 and 2030," Minister Bailey said.

"The South East Queensland diesel bus fleet emits over 12,000 tonnes of CO2 a month and the staged implementation of this program will see a 50 per cent reduction by 2030 and an 80 per cent reduction by 2035.

"By making these new, electric buses here in Queensland we can ensure we meet these targets, while supporting good jobs for Queenslanders."

Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher said the more than $20 billion Queensland industry is primed to take charge of opportunities like this, thanks to the hard work and planning of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.

"We know our Queensland manufacturers are the best in the world and with the help of the Advanced Manufacturing Roadmap, they're only getting better.

"We're arming businesses with the skills and knowledge to spearhead the leading-edge design, innovation, technologies and processes to make buses in Queensland.

"Next stop: Made in Queensland!"

Minister Bailey said the next step in developing the state's bus manufacturing policy is to work with industry to better understand their capacity.

The transition to zero emissions including funding, procurement, construction, asset ownership and supply of renewable energy will require a different model to the current diesel bus operating contracts.

Industry engagement is commencing and will be vitally important to help government understand how to develop a pipeline of manufacturing in Queensland and for the preferred commercial model to be tested.

"We are approaching bus manufacturers across the state right now to engage with my department so we can understand what's possible, and how we can best support a commitment of this magnitude," he said.

"We already have some buses being built on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane, and around the regions, so I want to know how we can capitalise on this existing skill set and expand.

"Even more opportunities lie in zero emission, battery and systems manufacturing, so we will look down this avenue to confirm local content possibilities to identify what is required for new companies to establish in Queensland.

"I look forward to getting this work underway so we can get building, to support good jobs in manufacturing and in supply chains throughout the state."

Industry stakeholders can email ZEB@translink.com.au to register their interest in participating.

For more information on Queensland bus services, visit www.translink.com.au

ENDS

[SurfRail]

The best way to get this on the right footing is for TransLink to be responsible for procurement.  The current arrangements where every operator picks their own kit leads to cottage industry type cost overruns.  The State knows how many buses it needs to replace and to grow the fleet, so they should be taking primary responsibility for it. 

The vehicles can be owned by the State and leased to the relevant contractor for use under its service contract, the way it happens in WA and SA.  It would also help ensure there is a common fitout, interior signage, fleet numbering etc.

All they basically need to do is commit to a few production streams with various manufacturers over a period of years - say 2 separate streams of a few hundred buses each for rigids, and a stream for artics - and then repeat the process over time until everything is electric, and then keep going.

[verbatim9]

All they basically need to do is commit to a few production streams with various manufacturers over a period of years - say 2 separate streams of a few hundred buses each for rigids, and a stream for artics - and then repeat the process over time until everything is electric, and then keep going.

I hope so too that they don't rely on one manufacturing stream. Multiple streams would be ideal. That would be likely the case with BCC here in Brisbane committed an European manufacturer as well as potentially committed to a Chinese one as well.

[achiruel]

Good luck getting BCC/TfB to buy whatever Translink suggests. More chance I'll win tonight's Gold Lotto draw—and I don't even have a ticket!

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland bus-makers urged to get on board electric revolution

The state government wants south-east Queensland bus manufacturers to make more electric buses here, rather than importing them from overseas.

As part of the state government's vow to reduce carbon emissions across a range of industry sectors, Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey last week pledged that all new Translink buses would be electric by 2025. ...

[achiruel]

Redlands City Council has now ordered 17 electric buses – made by Volgren at Eagle Farm – and Logan City Council has also placed orders.

Is this for real, or is it simply a case of the author not knowing that councils outside BCC don't operate buses?

[SurfRail]

17 for Transdev and 10 for Clark's.  Just journalistic ineptitude.