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Article: If you build it, will they come?

Started by ozbob, April 10, 2008, 08:03:17 AM

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ozbob

From Brisbanetimes click here!

If you build it, will they come?

QuoteIf you build it, will they come?
Tony Moore | April 10, 2008 - 5:00AM

Queensland's main infrastructure lobby group says it does not believe there is a large enough population on the Bellbowrie peninsula to make a Darra to Moggill cross-river rail spur financially viable.

Infrastructure Association of Queensland executive officer Paul Clauson, who served as Queensland's attorney-general, said he saw no harm in evaluating the proposal put forward yesterday by the ALP main roads parliamentary secretary Ronan Lee.

But his gut feeling was that the population in the Kenmore to Bellbowrie region was not large enough to make a rail line running back to the Ipswich line financially viable.

"There is no harm evaluating things," Mr Clauson said.

"And certainly we encourage the Brisbane City Council, the State Government and the Federal Government to come up with this sort of alternative solutions."

Mr Lee, the member for Indooroopilly, suggested the rail spur as a private-public partnership (PPP) on Tuesday, frustrated by his own government's plans to force even more traffic on to Moggill Road and the Centenary Highway.

The region's public transport options are linked to providing more buses on the already choked road network.

Public transport lobby group Rail: Back on Track backed the spur idea, saying it should be evaluated by a low-level feasibility study.

However, Mr Clauson said the region would not be considered a growing population, in strong contrast to the booming Forest Lake to Springfield region on the southern side of the Ipswich Motorway.

Mr Clauson stopped short of calling on the State Government to fast-track the rail line to Springfield, but urged it to ensure planning for the Springfield rail connection is flexible enough to cope with rapid population growth.

There are now 16,100 people living in Greater Springfield alone and thousands more in the suburbs from Forest Lake, Redbank Plains and Collingwood Park along the proposed line.

Transport Minister John Mickel announced in February that the rail line to Springfield would be built by 2015, four years later than originally promised. A new rail line to Richlands will be ready by 2011.

Springfield Land Corporation (SLC) managing director Bob Sharpless said the group met last month with Queensland's under treasurer Geoff Bradley and co-ordinator general Colin Jensen to discuss the possibility of bringing the rail line to Springfield forward.

Mr Sharpless said the two senior government officers said the project could not be discussed in detail until after the State Budget is brought down in June.

The parties will meet again after the budget, he said.

SLC paid for the original extension to the Centenary Highway to Springfield to be brought forward to allow the satellite suburbs to grow.

The population of Springfield is expected to reach 80,000 within 20 years.
Half baked projects, have long term consequences ...
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ozbob

Half baked projects, have long term consequences ...
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ozbob

Mr Lee is correct. There is little point in forcing yet more congestion onto the gridlock that is Moggill Road and the Western Freeway.

A rail spur feeding into the main western line is a smart idea.

What the Infrastructure Association of Queensland  is forgetting is that the rail head at Bellbowrie (or wherever) is feed by feeder bus services going against the congestion flow!  This then expands the passenger catchment dramatically and would make the line an instant success.  The railway line in Perth is a classic demonstration of this.  The only public transport for many of these citizens is the bus, and the buses are competing against the gridlock, a losing battle.

Smart state, smart solutions!  Lets go for it!!
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Zoiks

Short answer:
Yes

Long answer:
Pull your thumbs out and get over your dated thinking.

glossyblack

Well, it's seems from WA's experience and extended LR lines in Melbourne that they may use it.

mufreight

Short answer
No one will ever know if they never build it
long answer
How long will they take to
(a) make up their mind
(b) conduct feasibility studies
(c) conduct environmental studies
(d) debate next years Melbourne Cup Winner
(e) get someone else to pay for it
(f) prepare media release to say (i) we don't need it
                                            (ii) we can't afford it
(g) commence construction
(h) commence operations
Then we will find out.

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