Cross River Rail Project

[achiruel]

Maybe the State should rescind the City of Brisbane Act and split BCC into five council areas

[verbatim9]

Maybe the State should rescind the City of Brisbane Act and split BCC into five council areas

No thanks!

[SurfRail]

Maybe the State should rescind the City of Brisbane Act and split BCC into five council areas

Yes please.  Brisbane CC has proved time and time again how profoundly inept it is at public administration.  It is too big for its boots.

[ozbob]

Maybe the State should rescind the City of Brisbane Act and split BCC into five council areas

Yes please.  Brisbane CC has proved time and time again how profoundly inept it is at public administration.  It is too big for its boots.

Indeed.

[#Metro]

Alter The City of Brisbane Act to remove all PT functions. Simple and straightforward.

[techblitz]

re Jackie trads plans to develop train stations with commercial/residential.....while its a good idea on paper.......does she realise all the cranes currently in the sky courtesy of rampant BCC building approvals?? She has come to the building boom just a trad too late......lets say she does T.O.D more inner city stations...by the time the plan gains traction the boom will be over and we will see "for lease/for rent" signs everywhere.....and its these exact signs which dictate investment/confidence in a certain area...especially areas with a current supply overflow....
The only realistic way they will get funding for CRR is to raid the BCC bank....and heavily

[ozbob]

The Queensland Government needs to simply borrow some $$$ now, and commence construction.

Any further delays will be terminal for this project.

[ozbob]

With the present political makeup of the Government, and the looming political threats, nothing will be done re BCC.

No one has the courage or the intelligence.  Sorry about that, but that is reality.

[techblitz]

yep its time to pounce for loans now....with interest rates at an historic low......but also the fact that certain AAA credit ratings are currently on notice.....

[verbatim9]

The Queensland Government needs to simply borrow some $$$ now, and commence construction.

Any further delays will be terminal for this project.

Yes! borrow money while its cheap.  Order the tunnel boring machine and get tunnelling.

[kram0]

The Queensland Government needs to simply borrow some $$$ now, and commence construction.

Any further delays will be terminal for this project.

Agree but that would take a leader, something this government does not have!!

[ozbob]

In Brisbane holding media conference at Kangaroo Point with @GrahamPerrettMP and @terrimbutler supporting Cross River Rail #publictransport

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 5, 2016

Well that's nice.  We all support CRR, just a matter now of which version?  #3 or #33 ??

[ozbob]

^

No 1 #publictransport project for Brisbane. https://t.co/bbj1SveKZ1

— TTF (@TTFAus) September 5, 2016

[ozbob]

With @terrimbutler and @GrahamPerrettMP at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane supporting Cross River Rail #infrastructure pic.twitter.com/G3HHGssWAm

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 5, 2016

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> We were ready to announce Cross River Rail: Albanese

The former Newman state government had agreed to funding for Cross River Rail to the extent that a cross-governmental media release was drafted, former federal infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese revealed on Monday.

Speaking at the top of Brisbane's Kangaroo Point cliffs, Mr Albanese said internal Liberal National Party divisions leading up to the 2013 federal election, at which then-opposition leader Tony Abbott campaigned on a platform of not funding public transport infrastructure, was at the heart of the decision.

At the time, Mr Albanese was the federal infrastructure and transport minister in the Gillard Labor government.

"You had the premier (Campbell Newman) and the transport minister (Scott Emerson) rolled within the cabinet and a press conference that had been finalised at this very venue, that was due to be held with Wayne Swan as the treasurer, myself, Campbell Newman, Scott Emerson, the then transport minister," Mr Albanese said.

"It was all finalised. The wordings of the media release had been negotiated through between the two levels of government.

"As a result of that decision we've seen three years of inaction, three years of delay, and this is a project that when it begins construction you can't announce it and open it the next week."

A 2013 letter from Mr Emerson to Mr Albanese showed the Newman government was prepared to fund the project on a 50/50 basis with the federal government, which he estimated to "be in the order of $715 million each".

"Once I have your confirmation of the funding principles, it is my intention to seek cabinet approval to engage with the market to confirm the constructability and validate the business case estimates," Mr Emerson said in the April 30 letter.

Mr Albanese blasted what he called a "short-sighted political decision" on the part of the Newman government.

But deputy opposition leader and LNP infrastructure spokeswoman Deb Frecklington said Mr Albanese was "trying to rewrite history" to defend the Palaszczuk government's "botched handling" of Cross River Rail.

"When we inherited Cross River Rail from Labor, it was an uncosted, unfunded and flawed project that ignored the critical role of buses," she said.

"Federal Labor's offer of funding would have seen much of the money grabbed back from Queensland through reduced GST grant payments.

"Instead, the LNP developed a more affordable solution and worked co-operatively with the Brisbane City Council to create a project [the Bus and Train Tunnel] that was well advanced when we left government and that would have delivered a bus and train solution for Brisbane commuters."

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her government remained committed to immediately contributing $800 million towards the $5.4 billion project.

"What we need is all three levels of government focussed on the most important infrastructure project for our state, which is the Cross River Rail in south-east Queensland," she said.

[ozbob]

Hey @DebFrecklington you didn't get the memo huh?
BaT was fiction in the end ...@LNPQLD @QLDLabor #qldpol pic.twitter.com/dCgwEnPvG5

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) September 5, 2016

[#Metro]

"It was all finalised. The wordings of the media release had been negotiated through between the two levels of government.

Oh please. I have a magic carpet to show anyone who wants to see it.

$715 million x 2 = $1.4 BN. That's nowhere near enough for the tunnel.

[Stillwater]

It may have been considered enough of a sweetener for private enterprise to do a deal, coming up with the rest of the money, with the state government paying off instalments, much like a mortgage.  The cost of CRR is big.  It is a big pill to swallow in one go -- just like you not having the cash to buy a house outright; bust you can pay it in instalments after putting down the deposit.  BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) deals are possible for big infrastructure projects, especially toll roads.

Albo is a straight-shooter.  His version of events is plausible.  What this shows is the extent to which the toxic poison of politics is hindering and skewing good decision-making around major projects in Queensland.  Scott Emerson and Jacki Trad both are black belt political ninjas.

[verbatim9]

"It was all finalised. The wordings of the media release had been negotiated through between the two levels of government.

Oh please. I have a magic carpet to show anyone who wants to see it.

$715 million x 2 = $1.4 BN. That's nowhere near enough for the tunnel.

The Queensland Government is firing ahead with reforms with Retail Trading Hours and completed  Ride sharing legalisation and other Harper Review recommendations, thereforeThe State Government might be due incentive payments from the Federal Government for doing so!? Don't know how many millions of extra dollars we will get though and how they will use it. Might go towards the M1 or CRR?

[#Metro]

It may have been considered enough of a sweetener for private enterprise to do a deal, coming up with the rest of the money, with the state government paying off instalments, much like a mortgage.

It's a borrowing. Little different to taking out a big loan by issuing state bonds to investors.

BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) deals are possible for big infrastructure projects, especially toll roads.

Gov't needs BOOT alright. Bugger Off Out of Town. 

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Commuters to suffer during wait for Cross-river rail and Brisbane Metro

[Stillwater]

COURIER MAIL story:

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/what-cross-river-rail-will-do-for-queensland-economy/news-story/f66b5b6e56ada64aae6890b082c324e6

BUILDING the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail will boost the economy by $70 billion after four decades.

It would also create 84,000 ongoing jobs over the same period, according to State Government economic analysis.

Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Jackie Trad announced the figures backing up the benefits of Cross River Rail at a Media Club lunch today.  "Our preliminary economic analysis suggest that Cross River Rail will contribute more than $70 billion to Queensland's Gross State Product over 40 years and create more than 84,000 ongoing jobs within the corridor and across the SEQ rail network," she said.

Ms Trad reiterated the Government's focus on delivering a new rail crossing under the Brisbane River.

"It's our number one priority because Cross River Rail will also fundamentally transform our city and our region," she said.  "It will mean we can better link residential growth areas to key employment hubs — which is critical when you consider that 80 per cent of our population growth will occur outside the Brisbane Local Government Area while 45 per cent of all new jobs will be created within the Brisbane Local Government Area.

"And it will deliver huge economic benefits from transport oriented development emerging around the new station precincts at Woolloongabba, Bowen Hills, Roma Street, Albert Street, the Exhibition and Boggo Road."

Ms Trad also announced a $70 million funding package targeted to create local jobs.  The money will be distributed to local councils to fast-track existing projects and develop business cases.  Ms Trad also attacked the LNP for considering to preference Pauline Hanson's One Nation ahead of Labor at the next election.  "No one can or should underestimate the political climate necessary to attract foreign investment into our State or open doors for Queensland companies abroad," she said.

"Relationships are key.  Mutual understanding and respect is critical.  "However, it is not in anyone's economic interest for political leaders to provide political legitimacy to any extreme group."

[ozbob]

Well, why did they wait to the shadows of the last Federal election to jump at shadows?

I am not sure if better late than never really fits this saga  ...

========================

http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/infrastructure-priority-list.aspx

Infrastructure Priority List

The Infrastructure Priority List is a prioritised list of nationally significant investments. It provides decision makers with advice and guidance on specific infrastructure investments that will underpin Australia's continued prosperity.

The investments outlined in the list undergo a rigorous prioritisation process and are independently assessed by Infrastructure Australia's Board. Information on the prioritisation process is available.

The Infrastructure Priority List is updated regularly and is made up of two broad groups:

    Projects are potential infrastructure solutions for which a full business case has been completed by the proponent and positively assessed by the Infrastructure Australia Board.

    Initiatives are potential infrastructure solutions for which a business case has not yet been completed. Initiatives are identified through a collaborative process between nominators and Infrastructure Australia Board, using Infrastructure Australia Board's Audit and other data as evidence.


>> CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITY LIST PDF: 602 KB

Cross River Rail languishes as a ' high priority initiative '  doesn't even make project grade ..  hey ho ...

At least the business case is being assessed.

[Stillwater]

In its category, CRR is up against Sydney Metro and Melbourne Metro.  It would be interesting to see comparative benefit-cost analysis of all three projects, when the business cases are complete and full assessments are made by IA. 

[brissypete]

We all know the Merivale Bridge is reaching capacity.  Two fairly simple that could help on the South Brisbane side would be making the current standard gauge only crossover on the outbound dual gauge so outbound services can access P3.  Also having some peak services terminate/commence at South Brisbane would allow extra services from the south.  South Brisbane & South Bank are quite busy in peak.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

[tazzer9]

The southbound GC expresses in the afternoon cross over to the dual gauge line just south of south brisbane station using a 50km/h crossover.  Its faster than if you used the current standard gauge crossover setup.

[SurfRail]

I can just see what will happen.

A fourth platform will end up being built at South Brisbane (convert the SG track to dual gauge and electrify) and the lines will be reconfigured to accommodate trains terminating and reversing on platform 3 and (new) platform 4.  They'll convert P3 and P4 into a dock platform with a platform-grade connection over the lines to connect platform 4 to platforms 2/3 at the city end.  The XPT (if it survives that long) will go back to terminating at South Brisbane like the good old NSWGR days.

50% of Gold Coast and Beenleigh trains terminate at South Brisbane in peak hours on the 2 dock platforms.  Platforms 1 and 2 become the through platforms to the bridge for all inbound Cleveland trains, and all through Beenleigh/GC trains from the CBD.  The peak hour Beenleigh services terminating/starting here would run express from Coopers Plains inbound so they can use the express track in between the Gold Coast expresses.  You end up with maybe 8 trains an hour terminating, and 16+ going through with room for growth.

[tazzer9]

Only problem is you will get massive overcrowding on the through services.   What I see happening is services terminating at park road Platform 3 and catching a bus the rest of the way. 

That standard gauge track was actually dual gauge. They changed it to the one gauge around 10 years ago.
Also in your plan, there is no real reason to make the future P3 and P4 in dock platforms, keep the tracks going through them and just terminate trains, then shunt them forward, then reverse into the other platform.   

[SurfRail]

Getting to the CBD is most of the issue.  People will manage changing to stand on a train, or catch a bus - you might even see more people using the Goodwill Bridge from South Bank.

You would need to convert to a dock platform to make it easier for passengers to circulate to platform 4 and to prevent the need to install another lift shaft (which will probably not be possible in the space available).  Don't see how else you could do it without the cost blowing out.

Keep in mind this is a worst case scenario in case the perpetual faffing around doesn't end and we don't have a tunnel of some description in the next 10 years.  I would hate to see this actually be implemented, but given a potential need I wonder how it could work in practice.

[James]

Only problem is you will get massive overcrowding on the through services.   What I see happening is services terminating at park road Platform 3 and catching a bus the rest of the way.

A lot of the pax have already gotten off by the time the train leaves South Brisbane. The train has already gone through Park Rd (transfer for Beenleigh/Cleveland outbound, services to UQ and the PA), South Bank (numerous high schools, the TAFE and Griffith Uni campus there) and is letting off more pax at South Brisbane (for the offices/convention centre there).

It is definitely an option, that's for sure.

[tazzer9]

We go on about the merivale bridge capacity and while it is nearing its limit in peak hour, it is only approaching its capacity for around 3.5 hours a day.   

You want to help alleviate the peak hour strain.  Run more services around the peaks.   We need to run more cleveland expresses, more GC trains on the 15/8 minute frequency.  More inner beenleigh line trains.   Turn some of the dead run trains into revenue services.   

Get people away from travelling in the peak of the peak. 

[#Metro]

Auckland NZ is Brisbane's Sister City.

Both Brisbane and Auckland had bus reviews in 2013. Auckland has completed theirs. Brisbane has not even started.

The similarities do not end there. Like Brisbane, Auckland needs to build a rail tunnel in the CBD to unlock capacity in the network.

It now has funding for that approved also.

Comparing Brisbane and Auckland is a natural experiment in how not to run your politics!

City Rail Link funding breakthrough
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11709043

Video!

[SurfRail]

We go on about the merivale bridge capacity and while it is nearing its limit in peak hour, it is only approaching its capacity for around 3.5 hours a day.   

You want to help alleviate the peak hour strain.  Run more services around the peaks.   We need to run more cleveland expresses, more GC trains on the 15/8 minute frequency.  More inner beenleigh line trains.   Turn some of the dead run trains into revenue services.   

Get people away from travelling in the peak of the peak.

This is definitely something that needs to happen first, but no matter how much people keep spruiking video conferencing, working from home or staggering starting times, the reality is that the vast majority of commuters in peak work in offices in the CBD and immediate surrounds, need to be in the city at or around 7am-9am and leave between 4pm-6pm.  That is not going to change, especially with the increase in density of office accommodation in the inner city. 

Ideal world, CRR should be just about ready for opening in 2024 and South Brisbane is only a station for Cleveland and inner Beenleigh trains at most.

[tazzer9]

I don't know why the government has been pushing for flexible work hours.   Most of the lost productivity and a good portion of the yearly budget is spent just on peak hour related problems.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2016/9/20/deputy-premier-to-advance-queensland-in-europe-and-the-middle-east

Media Statements
Deputy Premier, Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning and Minister for Trade and Investment
The Honourable Jackie Trad

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Deputy Premier to advance Queensland in Europe and the Middle East

Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Jackie Trad will today depart on trade mission to promote Queensland's growing expertise in the knowledge-based economy in Europe and the Middle East.

The mission will also explore models for infrastructure development and reaffirm Queensland's commitment to the Great Barrier Reef at a meeting with UNESCO officials in Paris.

"Trade missions are integral to driving Queensland jobs both through encouraging local companies to expand internationally and through driving international investment in Queensland industries," Ms Trad said.

"The Palaszczuk Government is committed to broadening Queensland's economy with our $405 million Advance Queensland innovations and this mission will focus on supporting our innovation economy abroad.

"I'll not only be looking for good ideas for supporting these policies but I'll also be promoting Queensland's growing expertise in a growing range of sectors – from Fintech to the smart cities sector.

"In London, I will be meeting senior planning executives around economic development opportunities with a particular focus on Cross River Rail – Queensland's number one infrastructure project. I will also be engaging senior executives of the UK's Future Cities Catapult program, which brings together businesses, universities and city leaders to grow the economy and make cities better."

"I will also be meeting with senior business leaders to discuss the longer term opportunities for Queensland businesses in the United Kingdom following Brexit."

In Paris the Deputy Premier will meet UNESCO representatives to discuss the Queensland Government's actions to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

"I will be outlining our staunch commitment to implement the Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan, including our commitments to reinstate our world class tree clearing laws," Ms Trad said.

"From Paris I will be heading to the United Arab Emirates where the focus will be on innovative technologies and services for urban infrastructure and development.

"I will be leading a delegation of representatives from eight Queensland companies who, with the Government's assistance, are progressing into new international markets.

"I will be exploring a number of major projects in the United Arab Emirates including Dubai South, the world's largest green field urban development project and Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai, which is expected to become the world's biggest airport by 2050."

Ms Trad will depart Brisbane on 20 September and return on 1 October.

ENDS

========================

"In London, I will be meeting senior planning executives around economic development opportunities with a particular focus on Cross River Rail – Queensland's number one infrastructure project. I will also be engaging senior executives of the UK's Future Cities Catapult program, which brings together businesses, universities and city leaders to grow the economy and make cities better."

[ozbob]

[#Metro]

Jackie Trad MP is going to London, and while she is there she will have a brief chat about Cross River Rail over coffee.

Big deal.

[urbanplanr]

I think the only suitable emoji for this is

She could save herself the time and taxpayers money by just going down to see how the Victorian ALP are pushing ahead with Melbourne Metro.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Deputy Premier Jackie Trad searches globe for cross river rail funding options

The urban renewal of London's King's Cross and high speed Crossrail project could inspire the development and funding of Brisbane's Cross River Rail.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad met potential Cross River Rail investors, High Speed 2 chair Sr David Higgins, bankers and representatives from the King's Cross redevelopment as part of a trade mission to Europe.

King's Cross Central is a 27ha redevelopment featuring offices, hotels, shops and restaurants.

In January Australian Super increased its stake in the King's Cross Central redevelopment to 67.5 per cent, with a further $900 million investment.

Ms Trad said Australian superannuation funds were looking for good long-term investments

"That's (King's Cross Central) been funded largely by Australian superannuation," she said.

"We've got $2 trillion in superannuation in Australia.

"They're looking at investing in things like major urban renewal projects in the UK, which is fantastic."

Asked if superannuation funds should consider investing in urban renewal in Brisbane, Ms Trad was open to the idea.

"I reckon if we make sure that the agreement is structured right, and there's a really good rate of return, then I think that's a good way of putting to use capital that needs a long-term investment profile, so that they can get a rate of return that's not just sitting there doing nothing."

The $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project would link Dutton Park to Bowen Hills across 10.2km, but is yet to be fully funded.

The state has pledged $800 million towards Cross River Rail, but the Commonwealth has yet to commit to the project.

The government announced a statutory Cross River Rail Delivery Authority earlier this year to "help take the politics out" of the project.

In the UK, developers were charged a levy for additional floor space created to help fund its Crossrail underground rail system, with services due to begin in 2018.

Ms Trad said the support of business in London helped make Crossrail a success.

"The business community very much came on board early and said 'look, we need this to happen, we need to generate economic activity, we are prepared to work with businesses around a proposed business levy for this project'," Ms Trad said.

"This sort of business engagement happened very early, very cooperatively.

"I think that partnership is really important in order to bring to life a large scale infrastructure project."

Whether levies would be charged on developers in Brisbane would need to be decided by the Delivery Authority, Ms Trad said.

"In terms of levies, in terms of long-term financing, that's really something that we will engage with the Delivery Authority and very good thinkers in this space," she said.

When asked if large mixed-use retail and residential developments could be built over Cross River Rail stations, Ms Trad said "I don't see why not".

"Inevitably that will come down to the design and the technical challenges that are associated with it," she said.

Successive governments have spoken about a second river crossing for eight years to combat capacity issues on the city's rail network.

The authority and the project have moved entirely into Ms Trad's portfolio, having previously been shared across Transport and Planning and Infrastructure.

Ms Trad left Australia on Tuesday for a trade mission to explore models for infrastructure development and reaffirm Queensland's commitment to the Great Barrier Reef at a meeting planned for this week with UNESCO officials in Paris.

She will later travel to the United Arab Emirates to investigate innovative technologies and services for urban infrastructure and development.

Ms Trad is due to return on October 1.

[#Metro]

Sorry, but Trad is playing smoke and mirrors.

A company, even a super fund, needs to make a profit. That is, it must get more money out than it puts in.

Cross River Rail will have benefits in the community, but it will not make a profit.

The only way to make something loss-making like this profitable is to guarantee a stream of availability payments (i.e. subsidies) to a private company. This, in effect, is the same as the government borrowing because it creates a future debt obligation on the gov't.

Indeed, it may be cheaper to just issue government bonds (i.e. borrow the $$) than to do it through a PPP.

I would be surprised if "private" investment through TOD covered any more than 5% of the total $5-6 BN required for CRR. Even then, the ultimate beneficiary would be Brisbane City Council, as BCC would levy rates on anyone who bought into apartments.

We are going around in circles Ms Trad!