Premier Statement: QIP: Bligh Government plans nearly 1000 projects for Qld

[ozbob]

Premier and Minister for Reconstruction
The Honourable Anna Bligh
03/11/2011

QIP: Bligh Government plans nearly 1000 projects for Qld

The Bligh Government has mapped out nearly 1000 projects crucial to the future of the state.

They include more than 90 new schools, nearly 70 new police stations, more than 30 new hospitals or hospital expansions, 7 city-wide transit networks and 60 projects upgrading the Bruce Highway.

The projects are in the Queensland Infrastructure Plan which is Australia's first statewide infrastructure plan.

Premier Anna Bligh launched the document today setting out the state's infrastructure needs for the next 20 years. It will be updated annually.

"Queensland will become home to more than 100,000 new residents every year.

"It's estimated our population will increase by over two million people over the next two decades and we want to be ready," Ms Bligh said.

"We are determined to deliver infrastructure that anticipates growth.

"To do that you need a plan and this is the most comprehensive infrastructure planning document in Australia.

"It includes projects funded by all three levels of Government, as well as the private sector.

"These projects will help cater for population growth, improve people's lives, and drive the regions forward.

"Of the 958 projects in this plan and at least 65% are outside of South East Queensland.

"Importantly, they also give the construction industry a clear line of sight for investment and development," Ms Bligh said.

Since the draft version of the Queensland Infrastructure Plan was released for public consultation in July, more than 500 people have attended Way to Grow forums across the State to have their say. Another 7,000 have contributed online. The final QIP includes 540 projects not in the draft.

It also includes 50 new overtaking sections on the Bruce Highway between Brisbane and Cairns. These will be delivered over the next 4 years at a cost of $150 million, along with other safety and minor upgrades over the 20 year period. This is over and above the 60 major Bruce Highway Upgrade Strategy projects which are included in the QIP.

Key projects in the QIP include:

Far North Queensland - 114 projects including a new Health Services Precinct at Edmonton to grow into a new Cairns South Hospital, hospital expansions at Atherton, Mareeba and Thursday Island, the Smithfield Bypass, future stages of Cairns Bus Rapid Transit Network, six new schools, two additional police stations, and new ambulance station.

North Queensland - 110 infrastructure projects including seven new primary schools, one new high school, further expansions of Townsville Hospital and hospital expansions in Ayr and Charters Towers, a new Ambulance Station and up to three District Police Facilities, and Bruce Highway upgrades.

Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday - 101 projects including the Mackay Ring Road, Mackay Northern Access Upgrade, Sarina to Mackay duplication, further stages of the Mackay Transit Network, up to four new police stations and up to three new ambulance stations, further expansion of Mackay Base Hospital and expansions of Sarina and Bowen Hospitals, and four new primary schools and two new high schools.

Central Queensland - 114 projects including Bruce highway improvements, further expansion of Rockhampton Hospital, expansions of Gladstone, Longreach, Emerald, and Biloela Hospitals, up to three new police stations, a new fire station and regional Fire and Rescue Communications Centre, two new primary schools and a new high school,

Wide Bay Burnett - 102 projects including two new primary schools, two new high schools, further expansions of Hervey Bay and Maryborough Hospitals, a new Ambulance Station, up to five Police Stations, Bruce Highway upgrades and the Bundaberg Transit Network.

Darling Downs and South West - 83 projects including the Toowoomba second range crossing, Warrego Highway upgrades, Surat Basin road upgrades, the Toowoomba Transit Network Stages 2, 3 & 4, Hospital expansions at Toowoomba, Roma, Charleville and Kingaroy, up to 5 new police stations, a new fire station, and up to 5 kindergartens, a new primary school, and a new TAFE facility.

South East - 306 projects including 48 new primary schools, 17 new secondary schools and a new TAFE, up to 44 new Police stations, up to 14 new ambulance stations, up to 5 new fire stations, hospital expansions on the Gold Coast, Caboolture, Logan and the Sunshine Coast, a replacement Ipswich Hospital, numerous Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway upgrades, a Brisbane subway system, a North West rail line from Strathpine to the CBD, Coomera to Helensvale track duplication, future stages of the Northern, Eastern and South Eastern Busway, future stages of the Gold Coast Rapid Transit, and Pacific Motorway upgrades

In addition to the 930 projects in the regions there are a further 28 Queensland-wide projects not attributed to a specific region.

MEDIA CONTACT: Premier's Office - 07 3224 4500

http://dlgp.qld.gov.au/delivering-infrastructure/queensland-infrastructure-plan.html

[O_128]

When?

I'm also able to draw pretty pictures and make unfunded plans.

[colinw]

We appear to have a veritable storm of press releases:

Far North Queensland: http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=77443
North Queensland: http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=77448
Mackay region: http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=77447
Central region: http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=77446
Wide Bay Burnett: http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=77442
South West: http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=77444

Promises include "bus rapid transit spines" for Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg & Toowoomba! (Whatever that means).

[Mr X]

Yay, more promises devoid of detail, just out there to get a spot in the press 

[achiruel]

What happened to CRR? Is this QG's way of telling us it's been scrapped?

[shiftyphil]

What happened to CRR? Is this QG's way of telling us it's been scrapped?

It's on page 128.

Cross River Rail detailed feasibility phase and property acquisition

Cross River Rail procurement and construction2

2 - The Queensland Government is working with the Australian Government towards funding Cross River Rail, putting forward the project to Infrastructure Australia as the state's highest priority project. Procurement and construction will commence in 2013-14 subject to federal funding.

[#Metro]

I reckon a lot of this is completely unfunded vapour, much like SEQ2031 itself.

Where is the money for all this stuff?

Promises include "bus rapid transit spines" for Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg & Toowoomba! (Whatever that means).

On the other hand, this is excellent news. What about a BRT spine for Ipswich? Sunshine Coast? BRT spines probably mean something like the Blue and Red Rapid routes in Canberra where they use bundled services to create a high frequency service together with bus priority at lights and bus lanes (pity about bus lanes in Brisbane!).

[shiftyphil]

Where is the money for all this stuff?

Well they could always hike fares up some more...

[Stillwater]

Words from the report:

"New communities are planned at Caloundra South, Yarrabilba, Greater Flagstone and Ripley Valley to accommodate growth and ensure affordable and diverse housing and employment options. These new communities will require significant investment in road, bus and cycling facilities as well as community services, and water and sewerage infrastructure over the next 20 years and beyond."

(Note: No mention of rail.)

Is this a reference to rail?:  "Corridors will need to be secured to ensure suitable land for infrastructure into the future."

Same ole for the Sunny Coast

The Sunshine Coast rail line from Beerwah to Maroochydore will, in the future, provide a better link for communities concentrated along the coast. There will be improvements to the arterial road network, including provision of multi-modal corridors between Mooloolaba and Caloundra South, and bus and active transport facilities on a new arterial road from Sippy Downs to Caloundra South.

However, this little bit of information appears:

"Future freight rail upgrades (pre-project). "  [What's this?]

Here's more 'pre-project' projects (assume 'way off in the distance)

Beerburrum to Landsborough track duplication
Coast Connect (Caloundra to Maroochydore) bus corridor

Duplication to Landsborough has become a 'pre-project', downgraded from a 'construction-ready government commitment'.  The commitment is still there, just not the will to build it.

It's bread and circuses for the Gold Coast, especially surrounding the Commonwealth Games bid.  They get:
A new residential, commercial and entertainment precinct – the Games Village – that will accommodate
6500 athletes and officials.
A new warm-up athletics track adjacent to Carrara Stadium
A new world-class 50 metre swimming pool at Gold Coast
Aquatic Centre
Redevelopment of Gold Coast Hockey Centre
New indoor community sports facility at Coomera Sport and Leisure Centre
A new relocatable high-quality Gold Coast Sports Arena
Rail and bus upgrades across the Gold Coast
Upgrades to the Pacific Motorway.

[Fares_Fair]

Words from the report:

"New communities are planned at Caloundra South, Yarrabilba, Greater Flagstone and Ripley Valley to accommodate growth and ensure affordable and diverse housing and employment options. These new communities will require significant investment in road, bus and cycling facilities as well as community services, and water and sewerage infrastructure over the next 20 years and beyond."

(Note: No mention of rail.)

Is this a reference to rail?:  "Corridors will need to be secured to ensure suitable land for infrastructure into the future."

Same ole for the Sunny Coast

The Sunshine Coast rail line from Beerwah to Maroochydore will, in the future, provide a better link for communities concentrated along the coast. There will be improvements to the arterial road network, including provision of multi-modal corridors between Mooloolaba and Caloundra South, and bus and active transport facilities on a new arterial road from Sippy Downs to Caloundra South.

However, this little bit of information appears:

"Future freight rail upgrades (pre-project). "  [What's this?]

Here's more 'pre-project' projects (assume 'way off in the distance)

Beerburrum to Landsborough track duplication
Coast Connect (Caloundra to Maroochydore) bus corridor

Duplication to Landsborough has become a 'pre-project', downgraded from a 'construction-ready government commitment'.  The commitment is still there, just not the will to build it.

It's bread and circuses for the Gold Coast, especially surrounding the Commonwealth Games bid.  They get:
A new residential, commercial and entertainment precinct – the Games Village – that will accommodate
6500 athletes and officials.
A new warm-up athletics track adjacent to Carrara Stadium
A new world-class 50 metre swimming pool at Gold Coast
Aquatic Centre
Redevelopment of Gold Coast Hockey Centre
New indoor community sports facility at Coomera Sport and Leisure Centre
A new relocatable high-quality Gold Coast Sports Arena
Rail and bus upgrades across the Gold Coast
Upgrades to the Pacific Motorway.

That's an excellent summary SW,

Sunshine Coast continues to lose out BIG time despite our growth, the neglect is almost criminal.
Check out the timeframe for the Beerburrum to Landsborough duplication works, it appears to have been put off until 2031 or beyond now.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[shiftyphil]

Words from the report:

"New communities are planned at Caloundra South, Yarrabilba, Greater Flagstone and Ripley Valley to accommodate growth and ensure affordable and diverse housing and employment options. These new communities will require significant investment in road, bus and cycling facilities as well as community services, and water and sewerage infrastructure over the next 20 years and beyond."

(Note: No mention of rail.)

At least for Flagstone, it's included under "Rail network sectorisation and expansion 1" (Preliminary assessment / Concept)

1 Program of rail projects to enhance capacity and expand the reach of the rail network to support the 'rail revolution' in Connecting SEQ 2031, including Salisbury to Flagstone rail line.

[Stillwater]

Maybe this explains the long delay in answering your representations, FF.

[Stillwater]

Will Anna Bligh be "Queen Ozymandias"?

Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

And, petrified in stone, no doubt, was Ozymandias' Action Plan for the Future

[Cam]

No mention of rail triplication to Redbank by 2031 but triplication to Loganlea is expected by 2021.

EDIT: Corrected Kingston to Loganlea

[jouzocha]

Pathetic, Premier, particularly the delay to Beerburrum-Landsborough duplication.  This must be started IMMEDIATELY!!!

[Stillwater]

HELP:

Go to pages 123 to 135 of the Queensland Infrastructure Plan.  What do the astrixes mean?  The diamond indicates that mum and dad (i.e. the federal government) will pay.  It seems that CRR moves to the detailed feasibility and property acquisition stage in 2011-2013.  Is it just my eyes, or will CRR be built by 2015-16?  In what year does the solid blue line end and what does the termination point of the line signify?  Construction finished?

[Fattious]

HELP:
What do the astrixes mean? 

The Asterix just indicates that the activity will occur during that period. It is differentiated form the timeline marking as those two columns are 5 and 9 year periods.

[SurfRail]

I must say I am pleased by the attention to regional bus networks, although there is only the barest scintilla of info (except for the existing work that had already been done for the Cairns Transit Network).  I expect a lot of it is really just going to be bus stop upgrades to comply with DDA, and a few token bus jump lanes, but anything is good news given the fairly parlous state of urban bus services in regional areas.

Cairns, Townsville and Toowoomba all look like prime candidates for suburban rail (or even American type inter-urbans), but probably not even on the horizon.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Cough NGR EMU replacment up north cough cough  























































Oh I'm just dreaming again.

[dwb]

When?

I'm also able to draw pretty pictures and make unfunded plans.

So you expect the current government to commit funding for projects over the next 20 years? Um good work!

[colinw]

Cairns, Townsville and Toowoomba all look like prime candidates for suburban rail (or even American type inter-urbans), but probably not even on the horizon.

Agreed, and all have had suburban rail in the past (although Toowoomba not for very long, back in the 1920s).

Something like this would be ideal (tram-train the Spanish are rolling out on metre gauge lines, in some cases in cities as small as 70,000):

http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/vossloh-tests-tramlink.html

Although any talk of such rail systems is probably foaming when put in the context of the more pressing issues in SEQ (Beerburrum - Landsborough being the worst case).  Decent bus systems in those cities, plus Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Maryborough would be a good start. Maybe some kind of 3'6" light rail can follow in 20-30 years, although in many cases the railways don't really go where you would need them to.