Queensland Budget - articles discussion

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From Courier Mail click here!

Queensland's Health system will need expensive Budget cure

Queensland's Health system will need expensive Budget cure
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Steven Wardill and Josh Robertson

June 03, 2008 12:00am

ANNA Bligh's first Budget as Premier will be dogged by issues from the past - the spiralling cost of fixing Queensland's ailing health system.

The health budget for 2008-09 will surge to a record $8.35 billion ? however there will be little extra beyond what was already planned.

The health budget will be 17 per cent more than what was spent in 2007-08 and will go towards the new hospitals and extra staff promised before the 2006 election.

Queensland Health hopes to hire 2000 doctors, nurses and allied professionals with the extra cash.

About $1 billion will go towards new and improved hospital infrastructure but only $200 million of this will be spent on the three major new hospitals planned, the Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane and the new tertiary hospitals on the Gold and Sunshine coasts.

All three have suffered blow-outs.

The Children's Hospital has jumped from $700 million to $1 billion, the Gold Coast has increased from $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion and the Sunshine Coast from $940 million to $1.2 billion.

The details will be revealed in the Southeast Queensland Infrastructure Plan to be released with the Budget today. Increases in road, public transport and education projects are also expected.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said the Budget would be a "maths test" for Anna Bligh who, as treasurer, had costed many of the projects now blowing out.

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Ross Cartmill said the latest statistics showed new hospitals across the state were vital to tackling waiting lists.

"Queenslanders desperately need these capital projects to be properly funded and must not see vital beds, equipment or services cut due to poor planning," he said.

Treasurer Andrew Fraser said the Budget was about planning for the long term, not "the next five minutes". He said: "It will be the first budget of the Bligh Labor Government and it will set out our commitments and our priorities."

The Government will unveil tax reform measures with cuts in stamp duty and land tax the likely targets.

However, several tax rises have already been unveiled, including an increase to coal royalty rates.

The underlying 2008-09 surplus will be well above the $251 million predicted last year due to an extra $2.2 billion from the coal industry.

Mr Fraser raised the hackles of coal companies with the surprise royalty hike which prompted the Queensland Resources Council to accuse the 31-year-old state Treasurer of conducting a "smash and grab raid" on the industry.

Coal firms who read of the hike in yesterday's Courier-Mail were outraged by the lack of consultation.

The Government plans to gain an extra $578 million in 2008-09 by raising royalties from seven to 10 per cent for all coal fetching $100 or more per tonne. That will fall to $183 million in 2011-12, as the government loses GST allocations in compensation for the hike.

Coal companies will net record prices next financial year but these were a "one off", the QRC said.

A commitment for more rolling stock for QR urban and interurban networks is needed.
Further commitments to more track capacity and new lines.  Springfield and Kippa Ring.
See --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=953.0

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

$17b for transport projects

$17b for transport projects
Tony Moore | June 3, 2008 - 3:07PM

A massive $17 billion in infrastructure spending will be rolled out in the next 12 months, including a new storm-proof Houghton Highway bridge for Redcliffe and the commencement of the Eastern Busway through Buranda and Coorparoo.

The State Government's massive infrastructure budget - up $3 billion from last year's $14 billion program - will see completed more than 160 of the 450 projects on the State Government's infrastructure plan.

In water projects, the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project ($795 million in 2008/09) and the Tugun Desalination Plant ($448.9 million in 2008-09) will be finalised by Christmas.

A further $442 million has been allocated to the Traveston Crossing Dam south of Gympie, even though the Federal Government is yet to give environmental approval for the project.

In roadworks, the Wacol to Darra stretch of the Ipswich Motorway receives $200 million, while there is a further $100 million to complete the Logan Motorway/Ipswich Motorway interchange. Another $20 million has been set aside for planning for the next stage from Goodna to Dinmore.

The Houghton Highway project receives $150 million to start work on the bridge - designed to combat "climate change" by being built higher than the existing Houghton Highway.

More than $565 million has been set aside for for rail track improvements to the Corinda to Darra third rail line project, as well as the Robina to Varsity Lakes line and the doubling of the rail line from Caboolture to Beerburrum.

Queensland's coal export industries receive a boost from $576 million being spent on coal rail network in Central Queensland, while $320 has been allocated to double the capacity of the Abbot Point Coal Terminal just north of Bowen.

Just 12 new three-car trains will arrive in 2008-09, but the budget sets aside $162 million over four years to order 58 extra three-car trains units.

The government has also set aside $107 million to speed up travel times on the Mt Isa rail line.

The infrastructure budget also includes more than $1 billion in capital works for the redevelopment of the Cairns Hospital, a new Mackay Hospital and upgrades to the Mt Isa Hospital.

Treasurer Andrew Fraser said it was appropriate to borrow to fund long-term infrastructure projects.

"While we do undertake some debt financing, what did it cost us?" he asked.

"Well it cost us in this budget 1.5 per cent of revenue."

He said it was a policy position backed by Commerce Queensland.

"It is what Commerce Queensland says we should do - appropriately debt-finance long-term infrastructure. It is what the Property Council says we should do - appropriately debt finance, long-term infrastructure."

These payments increase to 3 per cent of total revenue at the end of the four-year budget forward estimates, Mr Fraser confirmed.

Premier Anna Bligh said criticism of government borrowing begged the question of which projects should not be financed.

"Every time you hear the Opposition complain about us undertaking responsible borrowings, what they are really saying is that we should stop building things," Ms Bligh said.

"If the Opposition has a policy of winding back on responsible borrowings they should let Queenslanders know what it is that they would stop building."