Cross River Rail Project

[HappyTrainGuy]

Pretty sure QR even has the network diagrams with key distance markers on their website if you want to know the distances. Hell, grab some eyes and look at the painted markings on the sleepers and walls haha.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Trad will trudge on with CRR plans despite over-estimate of demand

THE election battlelines around Brisbane's $5.4 billion Cross River Rail have been drawn.

And there's 65 million reasons to believe why the political argument over the inner-city rail route has fallen in the LNP's favour.

That figure is the difference between what the 2011 Cross River Rail business case's patronage forecast was for 2016 and the number of rail trips that actually occurred.

Six years ago, it was claimed 374,000 passengers a day would be travelling on rail. This demand would mean the system's single north-south river crossing, the Merivale Bridge, would exceed capacity.

However, the latest CRR business case said there were only 195,000 passenger trips a day last year. Annualised, it means the State original forecast over-estimated demand by more than 65,000,000 trips.

This error was highlighted by Infrastructure Australia this week when it deemed Cross River Rail not be a priority project for federal funding.

The agency's report wasn't helped, however, by a deeply flawed map of Brisbane. It put the CBD on the wrong side of the river and invented a suburb "Hill Gate" where West End should have been.

It was like an episode of political satire Utopia except the Turnbull Government wasn't seeing the funny side.

Oops.

Regardless, IA's finding has given the LNP Opposition the piece of paper it needs to justify its position that CRR isn't urgent. Tim Nicholls, the Opposition Leader, will just want to ensure he waves around the one with the amended map.

With Labor committed to fully fund CRR, IA's findings are a perfect canvas on which to paint the Palaszczuk administration as Brisbane-centric in the regions, where the next election will be won and lost.

IA's findings are instructive because the same questionable forecasts from the 2011 business case were repeated in the 2016 version.

It claims rail patronage will increase by 6.9 per cent every year for the next 10 years, seven times the average rate for the last decade and 2.5 times what's happening in other cities.

Nicholls isn't arguing the southeast region doesn't need CRR. He's arguing Labor's 2024 timetable means $5.4 billion is being spent before its needed, sucking money that's in short supply from elsewhere.

However, as Deputy Premier Jackie Trad points out, the LNP had even more generous patronage forecasts in its Bus and Train Tunnel proposal, an alternative to CRR. And the business case for Lord Mayor Graham's Quirk's Brisbane Metro busway plan has much the same.

Yet this is a bit of a tricky argument for Trad to trot out.

She has to claim the Government is right to spend $5.4 billion based on patronage forecasts that recent history has proven wrong.

Regardless of all the numbers, Trad's project will have huge benefits for rail users and prompt massive urban regeneration around the route.

Then again, Queensland's last two governments had similar proposals before elections and they lost.

Nicholls, however, will go to an election with the unique tactic of trying to appeal to one region by postponing a massive piece of infrastructure in another.

The $5.4 billion question is, will it work?

[ozbob]

Well this time the project is actually underway.  Simple fact is a lot of latent demand for public transport, particularly rail in SEQ. We are fast approaching a crunch point as terminal  congested capacity on roads is reached.  As rail frequency stepped up patronage will climb significantly.  Now is the time to start preparing for the future network expansions as much as providing the second rail route through the core.  A point not often made is the added benefit in terms of redundancy if one of the core routes is down for what ever reason eg. possums, wombats and/or pigeons.

Too many naysayers in brisBANE. Part of the reason it is so fuked up sadly ...

[#Metro]

Auckland was put in the same position.

Patronage can be demonstrated by adding more services in peak and bus reform feeding the network.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Cross River Rail: Commonwealth's seat on project board to be vacated


Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and Griffith University's Matthew Burke addressing the media regarding Cross River Rail. Picture: AAP/Claudia Baxter

THE brawl between the state and federal governments over Cross River Rail continues to escalate with the Palaszczuk Government moving to kick the Commonwealth off the project's board.

But they are keeping the $10 million committed by the Turnbull Government to the project.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad has declared the Commonwealth's seat on the CRR delivery authority board – currently held by Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development Secretary Mike Mrdak – would be vacated.

It follows the release of Infrastructure Australia's assessment of the CRR business case in which it criticises the project.

Ms Trad has argued the IA assessment was proof the body had become politicised.

"Cross River Rail has a full and robust business case, a finalised alignment and industry support yet we received a report from the Commonwealth that couldn't even get basic facts right such as the location of Brisbane's CBD," Ms Trad said.

"It's also obvious they weren't taking us seriously when they failed to take into account any of the additional information we have provided over the last 13 months or even the fact that we have integrated the Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro through collaboratively working with council."

Ms Trad said the government would consider allowing the Commonwealth back on the board "but only if they are prepared to work with Queensland in a real and collaborative way".

[Stillwater]

It is Ms Trad who has politicised the CRR Delivery Authority by 'sacking' Mike Mrdak.  He is a highly-regarded career public servant, well-connected in investment and infrastructure circles, with a first-class policy mind.  He is exactly the sort of talent the CRR Delivery Authority needs.  Ms Trad seems to be suggesting that he is a card-carrying member of the LNP!  That is an insult to a professional career public servant such as Mr Mrdak.

[ozbob]

I hope there has been some communication with Mr Mrdak to explain that it is not about him per se but the 'position'.

[Gazza]

If the cross River rail delivery authority was supposed to be a non political why is the government of the day modifying it

[Stillwater]

The object of the game governments play is to promise something that you can then get other levels of government to pay for ... but you get the kudos.  In that regard, Ms Trad has failed spectacularly.  She has, and Labor has too, put so much into this project, spun so much rhetoric around it, elevated it to the status of the ninth wonder of the world that they had no choice but to fund it when the feds said 'no'.  In fact Trad and the ALP overcooked this and wove it with politics so convincingly that they made it easier for the feds to step away.  I am sure they cooked the books too - full of optimistic predictions, revenues and costings etc.

In fact, the very things Trad spruiks as benefits .... urban renewal, jobs nodes etc, were not put in the final business case.  So IA didn't evaluate them.

IA appear to have taken Ms Trad at her word when she said 'IA had the business case a year ago'.  That is the set of number IA relied upon.  And how many frigging times does a project have to be reworked and reworked again?  Other states are able to 'measure twice, do once'.  Queensland made themselves a laughing stock among infrastructure industry circles with their chop and change plans, and reworking of costings.  What numbers should be believed?  And can we believe $5.4b as the final figure?

[Stillwater]

This is the man that Jackie Trad says has no place on the CRR Delivery Authority:

https://www.britishchamber.com/event/mike-mrdak-secretary-department-infrastructure-regional-development

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Opinion: Cross River Rail needs to come before a public transport crisis

SOUTHEAST Queensland needs a second river crossing for rail and we need it now.

This week we saw the bizarre release of Infrastructure Australia's evaluation of Cross River Rail, our number one infrastructure project.

It demonstrated bias, false assumptions and was riddled with errors – it even put Brisbane's CBD on the Southside and invented a new suburb 'Hill Gate'.

Clearly, the NSW-centric Turnbull Government just does not want to fund Cross River Rail. They continue to put up the most ridiculous reasons not to support it, the worst of which is that Queenslanders should wait until there is a crisis before building this infrastructure.

But ask anyone who uses our public transport system in the southeast and they will tell you they want better services now, not in a decade.

That's why the Palaszczuk Labor Government didn't sit around waiting for Prime Minister Turnbull, we fully funded this $5.4 billion project in our state Budget so that we can start construction this year.

Cross River Rail will transform southeast Queensland.

It will better connect our region by creating a second rail crossing through the inner city and across the river, relieving congestion and allowing us to increase services for our growing population.

It will also allow us to build the vital rail connections to the Sunshine Coast, Flagstone and the Springfield extension.

It will be a catalyst for massive economic growth, pumping $70 billion into our economy over the next 40 years, benefiting our regional, state and national economies.

A second rail crossing will ensure our city doesn't grind to a halt when a possum causes a power outage because they get stuck in an overhead line.

There will be a new underground tunnel and stations and trains will keep on running.

Working collaboratively with Brisbane City Council, we have combined the strength and impact of Cross River Rail and the Brisbane Metro projects to totally transform our public transport system into one that is high frequency, reliable and convenient, giving Queenslanders a reason to leave the car at home for their daily commute.

We are building Cross River Rail now, because we know Queenslanders are sick of the politics and waiting for the Federal Government to come to the table.

We are building Cross River Rail now because we know that Queenslanders are sick of waiting until there is an infrastructure crisis before projects get built.

In their view, the Turnbull Government's Infrastructure Australia says Queenslanders should wait until our trains reach 150 per cent capacity and one in three commuters are squashed like sardines on their daily commute, before we build Cross River Rail.

Well, I reckon Infrastructure Australia can make all the excuses they want for Malcolm Turnbull and the LNP – but we're not copping it.

I know that the Gold Coast line alone is already at 90-100 per cent capacity in the morning peak with some commuters standing for over an hour on their journey.

Similarly, I've heard from countless Queenslanders who use the Cleveland line in peak periods and they all say the same thing, the trains are full.

We've also heard from RACQ that the best way to bust congestion on our roads is to build public transport infrastructure and deliver better services.

We've looked at where the Federal Government has funded projects in NSW and compared them to Cross River Rail and it's plain that Queensland is being treated differently.

They are contributing almost $19 billion towards infrastructure in New South Wales – $1.7 billion to the Sydney Metro, $3.5 billion to Sydney's WestConnex, $5.3 billion to Sydney's second airport and $8.4 billion on Inland Rail, the majority of which is in NSW.

Yet, it refuses to provide any funding for our number one infrastructure project, Cross River Rail.

Queenslanders can smell a NSW con job from across the border and clearly this doesn't add up.

Jackie Trad is Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Planning

[Stillwater]

It's not the infrastructure state of origin!  Queensland writes a business case for federal funding as though it were a withdrawal slip pushed across the counter at the local bank.  For all her SHOW US THE MONEY antics, Ms Trad goes close to making the withdrawal slip a ransom demand.  Submitting a poor business case reduces the likelihood of getting a project across the line.  Not including all relevant information relied upon to arrive at a defendable BCR reduces a state's chances to get funding relative to another state and its projects.  CRR has been a 'project on the run', with various reworkings and back of the envelope calculations, BAT, Cleveland Solution -- the lot.  Unlike NSW and Victoria, Queensland has yet to prove it can handle big project stuff.  So much more could have been achieved without the politics around CRR, and Ms Trad is responsible for a big chunk of that.  Of course, special mention to Scott Emerson for a starring role in the CRR debacle and the NGR fiasco.

How things are done, Queensland style: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/02/adani-royalties-deal-queenslands-transparent-policy-framework-kept-secret

[#Metro]

Submitting a poor business case reduces the likelihood of getting a project across the line.  Not including all relevant information relied upon to arrive at a defendable BCR reduces a state's chances to get funding relative to another state and its projects.

Infrastructure Australia is independent of ministerial direction. They have an independent board that hires a headhunting firm that then goes out and finds a pool of people, and then CEO is selected from that.

It is a bit like a court really. Trad going around trying to project this as some kind of direction from Turnbull or maybe as a proxy organisation for blocking Cross River rail doesn't wash with me.

We can choose to believe in a conspiracy theory (evidence?) or think about more likely reasons, such as the business case submitted was lacking and unconvincing and perhaps that explains why Queensland Government won't release it.

With all the strikes on the bus network, and rail network unreliability due to lack of NGR launch, I think patronage will go down even further.

[ozbob]

IA did not include all the recent information they requested in their evaluation according to the QLD Govt.

We cannot test that until we see the FULL evaluation by IA and the FULL CRR Business Case with updates.

All is moot until then.

IA is subject to political interference albeit often subtle, I have no doubt about that.

So it really comes down to the fact that if ALP are still in Govt after the #qldvotes  CRR is done.  Any other outcome CRR is rooted basically!

Onwards!   

[Derwan]

Gabba site update:

• Demolition of the GoPrint building is scheduled to commence this month.
• The Dental hospital relocated about 2 weeks ago.  (It is unknown whether the building will be demolished at the same time as the GoPrint building.)
• LandCentre relocations expected to commence January 2018 and the building is expected to be vacated no later than September 2018

[kram0]

Gabba site update:

• Demolition of the GoPrint building is scheduled to commence this month.
• The Dental hospital relocated about 2 weeks ago.  (It is unknown whether the building will be demolished at the same time as the GoPrint building.)
• LandCentre relocations expected to commence January 2018 and the building is expected to be vacated no later than September 2018

Thanks for the update. It would make sense on many levels, particularly financially to commence demolition of the GoPrint and Dental hospital at the same time. It seems we are inching forward at least. Lets hope the LNP do not cancel this project should they get in. The Labor administration should have as many contracts signed as possible before they call the election.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Government calls for tenders to demolish Goprint for Cross River Rail

DEMOLITION companies will be asked to tender for the job of knocking down the Goprint site at Woolloongabba as the state moves forward with its plans to go it alone and build Cross River Rail.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad will announce the opening of the tender today, the first for the $5.4 billion project that the state has pledged to fully fund without Commonwealth support.

It will be open to eligible businesses registered for Queensland Government building and construction work and comes after the CRR delivery authority board approved the demolition in June.

"I want to see local contractors involved in this milestone that marks the start of on-site works for the historic Cross River Rail project," Ms Trad said.

"This is an opportunity to be involved in a project that will fundamentally transform southeast Queensland, from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast and out to Ipswich."

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2017/2017_08_09_DAILY.pdf

Ministerial Statements

Cross River Rail

Hon. JA TRAD (South Brisbane—ALP) (Deputy Premier, Minister for Transport and Minister for
Infrastructure and Planning) (2.26 pm): Cross River Rail has today hit another milestone, with
companies invited to tender for the demolition of the Goprint site at Woolloongabba. This is an
opportunity to be involved in a project that will fundamentally transform South-East Queensland from
the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast and out to Ipswich. I am pleased to advise the House that the
first tender associated with this project will be released today and will be open to eligible businesses
registered for Queensland government building and construction work. I want to see local contractors
involved in this milestone that marks the start of on-site works for the historic Cross River Rail project.
There will be plenty more opportunities ahead for Queensland businesses and Queensland workers to
benefit from our investment in Cross River Rail.

Last week I joined the Premier to watch as crews welded the final piece of the track at Helensvale
for the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 2 project. This symbolic final rail weld represents the connection of
the 7.3 kilometre dual track from Helensvale station to stage 1 of light rail at Gold Coast University
Hospital. For the first time since the Bjelke-Petersen government ripped up the rail line to the Gold
Coast decades ago Brisbane and the heart of the Gold Coast are once again connected by rail. We
have a 20-kilometre stretch of light rail track connecting the world famous beaches of the Gold Coast
with the heavy rail line of Brisbane. Work on the $420 million light rail extension began in July 2016 with
heavy machinery completing the earthworks necessary and preparing the corridor for track laying.
In recognition of the success of light rail on the Gold Coast, the Premier also took the opportunity
to announce an additional $5 million allocated in the 2017-18 state budget for a detailed business case
to inform a future investment decision for light rail stage 3A, Broadbeach south to Burleigh Heads. With
the amazing success of light rail and the expected population growth on the Gold Coast the time is right
to start planning for a third light rail extension that will further connect the Gold Coast.
Only the Palaszczuk government will actually deliver infrastructure for the Gold Coast like the
critical extension of the light rail network.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2017/2017_08_09_DAILY.pdf

Questions without notice

Cross River Rail

Mr KING: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Will the Deputy Premier update the House on
Cross River Rail and advise whether she is aware of any alternative positions?

Ms TRAD: Unlike those opposite, the member for Kallangur does not trash talk Cross River Rail.
He did not trash talk the Townsville stadium like those opposite. He did not trash talk light rail on the
Gold Coast like those opposite. He certainly does not trash talk Cross River Rail like those opposite,
because he understands that, fundamentally, Cross River Rail will reform the way that public transport
operates for more than three million people in the South-East Queensland region. The people who will
benefit the most are those in the outer suburban regions such as Moreton Bay, who will save almost
20 minutes a day in travel to the CBD. Fundamentally, Cross River Rail will deliver turn-up-and-go,
reliable and frequent services for the people of Queensland.

Today I was excited to announce that we have invited Queensland companies to tender for the
demolition of the Goprint site. That is the first big step in the commencement of construction for this
very important project. It is the No. 1 critical infrastructure project for the south-east Queensland corner.
We have to get on and build this infrastructure, because, quite frankly, Queenslanders are sick and
tired of waiting for a crisis before we build the infrastructure that we need. Paul Turner from the RACQ
stood beside me and said, 'Wouldn't it be nice to build the infrastructure before we actually got to a
crisis?' I wholeheartedly agree with the RACQ, which agrees with the Palaszczuk Labor government,
that we need this project to bust congestion.

Unfortunately, there is another body that seems to be singing from the same song sheet as the
LNP and that is Malcolm Turnbull's Infrastructure Australia. Infrastructure Australia, which has been so
politically compromised by the Turnbull government, sees fit to fund major projects in New South Wales
that do not have final EISs; that do not know where tunnels are going; that do not know where dive
points or exit points are; that do not know where ventilation stacks are going. Those projects get the
tick of approval from Infrastructure Australia, but not Cross River Rail. Soon after their shoddy
assessment of Cross River Rail, Infrastructure Australia provided a report that says if we want money
from the federal government we should look at privatising Queensland Rail and using the proceeds to
fund Cross River Rail. It is the same song sheet.

[#Metro]

Soon after their shoddy assessment of Cross River Rail, Infrastructure Australia provided a report that says if we want money from the federal government we should look at privatising Queensland Rail and using the proceeds to
fund Cross River Rail. It is the same song sheet.

Red Team is so out of touch it is not funny! Newsflash - Red Team already privatised Queensland Rail under Anna Bligh, and who

was her chief of staff working in the West End office - none other than Jackie Trad.   

BOOM!

[curator49]

Queensland Rail has not been privatised. QR National formerly part of Queensland Rail was privatised which then became Aurizon. Some track has been deeded over to Aurizon but the suburban rail network and trackage remains in government hands. All suburban passenger trains and all long distance passenger trains remain in government hands. It will be a disaster if these services are privatised.

[#Metro]

Queensland Rail has not been privatised. QR National formerly part of Queensland Rail was privatised which then became Aurizon. Some track has been deeded over to Aurizon but the suburban rail network and trackage remains in government hands. All suburban passenger trains and all long distance passenger trains remain in government hands. It will be a disaster if these services are privatised.

Part of Queensland Rail was privatised. The freight section was cut off it and sold off.

Queensland Rail is already a disaster. Boot it out the door!

Get in Deutsche Bahn, RATP, MTR... plenty of choice now with what manager to have for that.

It will be a disaster if we keep listening to the people who want one thing and one thing only: extend the QR contract again. 

[HappyTrainGuy]

Queensland Rail has not been privatised. QR National formerly part of Queensland Rail was privatised which then became Aurizon. Some track has been deeded over to Aurizon but the suburban rail network and trackage remains in government hands. All suburban passenger trains and all long distance passenger trains remain in government hands. It will be a disaster if these services are privatised.

And so too was the back end and operational services side (infrastructure designers, network designers etc) which were made redundant (via the split with VRs) and what was left was a small team with the rest getting the sack under newman. Nothing quite like waiting for the blokes from Aurizon to rock up with their welding gear to slice off the front of the EMU (they just went on a cutting fest - if you know how much electronic and component wiring are hidden behind the coupler/cow catcher it would have brought a tear to your eye. Big thick bundled electronic wires just sliced with the torch. Bet the guys up north had a fun time redoing all that wiring haha) on the Banyo level crossing a few years back 

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2017/2017_08_10_DAILY.pdf

Questions without notice

Cross River Rail

Mr POWER: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Will the Deputy Premier inform the House
how Cross River Rail will improve public transport congestion for commuters in Logan? Is the Deputy
Premier aware of any alternative positions?

Ms TRAD: I thank the member for Logan for his question. I do want to acknowledge that he is a
very big supporter of Cross River Rail because he knows it means an additional 30 minutes a day for
people in his community catching the train from Logan into the CBD. It also means more frequent and
reliable public transport services for the people of Logan. He also understands that without Cross River
Rail we actually cannot build a rail connection to Flagstone, and this is a project that I know the member
for Logan is incredibly passionate about.
It is not just the member for Logan and this side of the chamber who are passionate advocates
for more public transport infrastructure, particularly Cross River Rail. We know that the view of
Engineers Australia on Cross River Rail is 'The only alternative to building this project is to allow that
road congestion to escalate and I don't think that is helpful for our community.'
Engineers Australia gets it. RACQ gets it. Infrastructure Queensland gets it. The Labor Party gets
it. The only people who do not get it are the LNP. In fact, only last week we gained a new supporter in
Alan Jones. Alan Jones said, 'It seems infrastructure is a personal preference these days. ' Brisbane
needs a second crossing across the Brisbane River but Malcolm Turnbull says we do not need it. His
guest at the time was former Liberal leader John Hewson. John Hewson in response said, 'The
short-term politics of this are ridiculous.' Do honourable members know what? John Hewson is right. It
is a ridiculous position from a ridiculous federal LNP government. Ridiculous!

We know that the LNP is playing short-term politics with critical infrastructure for our state. We
also know that the only way that the Turnbull government will even start entertaining putting money on
the table is if we start selling our assets. As I referred to yesterday in the House, we know that this is
being backed up by Infrastructure Australia, who are saying that potentially Queensland should look at
funding Cross River Rail by privatising and franchising its passenger services. I table a copy of the
report for the benefit of the House.

Tabled paper: Report by Infrastructure Australia, May 2017, titled 'Improving Public Transport: customer focused franchising'.

We will not be privatising our passenger services. We will not be privatising rail services in
Queensland, unlike those opposite, who only know three modes: cut, sack, sell. Those opposite only
know: cut, sack, sell. That is all they know: cut, sack, sell.

Mrs Frecklington interjected.

Mr SPEAKER: Deputy Leader of the Opposition, you have had a pretty good go. If you persist
you will join the list.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> No price to pay for those close to Cross River Rail stations, authority promises

Businesses and residents near Cross River Rail train stations will not be charged new taxes to pay for the $5.4 billion project, with value capture again ruled off the table.

Cross River Rail Delivery Authority head Graeme Newton told a Property Council of Australia lunch the project was fully funded in the latest Queensland budget.

"So value capture is not something I'm looking at because I'm a project deliverer, government policies happen around that," Mr Newton said.

"But my clear direction is, here's the money get on with it, so value capture is not in my equation."

In June, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was the one who wanted to explore value capture and charge landowners for the increase in property values expected from the project.

Deputy Brisbane mayor Adrian Schrinner said if governments waited until value capture mechanisms were sorted out to deliver a project, it would probably never happen.

"You've just got to go with it. There are opportunities to capture value, no doubt, but you've got to get on with it," he said.

Cr Schrinner said Brisbane could have built some new bridges across the river for the money that had been spent on Cross River Rail so far.

The Cross River Rail project was first mooted in 2007 and has gone through several iterations, and was put on hold during the LNP Newman government for its "BaT tunnel" bus and train design.

Cr Schrinner said there were costs to delayed infrastructure projects.

"The money that's been burnt on Cross River Rail, you could have probably built a couple of new bridges across the Brisbane river," he said.

"Ultimately we've got to get this locked in and just got to get cracking on it and I know that's what's happening now, which is fantastic."

Cr Schrinner said the council's Brisbane Metro was about reusing existing infrastructure and that was generally not a sexy project.

"But Metro is sexy, it's about taking our existing busway infrastructure to the next level and really building on that capacity," he said.

On the question of value capture, Stockwell managing director Mark Stockwell said "forget about it", which was rewarded with applause from some in the audience at the event.

"The minute you sit there as a council or a government and go 'how do we get the development industry, the property industry, the existing owners to pay for what we want to do?' It doesn't happen," Mr Stockwell said.

"If I've got more money to put into the public place or into the development, that is going to be a better outcome than sitting there thinking that I can actually fund infrastructure, if I can fund infrastructure, I'd be called government."

Mr Stockwell said infrastructure projects took longer than one term of government and they required bipartisan support to get off the ground.

"I think the delivery of government-led infrastructure by government debt is the absolute perfect way to deliver infrastructure because they borrow at incredibly good interest rates, long-term government debt is the most efficient way to deliver infrastructure and we have to get over in this state the obsession with debt," he said.

"There's good debt and bad debt, which we all know, and I think debt for delivery of infrastructure is good debt."

Mr Newton said Cross River Rail could "awaken" some areas which were not being fully utilised.

"Somewhere like Woolloongabba, for example, or Roma Street has transport passing through there but there's this real scope to turn that into something," he said.

"Exhibition, for example, trains are going there today because the Ekka is on, but not usually, so there's a whole precinct there.

"And then you look at things like Mayne yards... That scale of government-owned land can also be part of that stimulation."

Mr Newton said if Expo '88 was Queensland reaching adolescence, the state was now "ready to move into adulthood".

"And to move to adulthood, we need to look at, well, how is our city set up? Where do people want to live? And how do we enable that and free up those arteries so people can live where they want to in a more affordable way and get where they want to work," he said.

Mr Newton said discussions with the federal government would continue around Cross River Rail.

[ozbob]

" .. Cr Schrinner said there were costs to delayed infrastructure projects.

"The money that's been burnt on Cross River Rail, you could have probably built a couple of new bridges across the Brisbane river," he said.

"Ultimately we've got to get this locked in and just got to get cracking on it and I know that's what's happening now, which is fantastic."

Cr Schrinner said the council's Brisbane Metro was about reusing existing infrastructure and that was generally not a sexy project.

"But Metro is sexy, it's about taking our existing busway infrastructure to the next level and really building on that capacity," he said. ..."

^ Well, there you go .. BCC and the State Government on the same page at long last.

[kram0]

" .. Cr Schrinner said there were costs to delayed infrastructure projects.

"The money that's been burnt on Cross River Rail, you could have probably built a couple of new bridges across the Brisbane river," he said.

"Ultimately we've got to get this locked in and just got to get cracking on it and I know that's what's happening now, which is fantastic."

Cr Schrinner said the council's Brisbane Metro was about reusing existing infrastructure and that was generally not a sexy project.

"But Metro is sexy, it's about taking our existing busway infrastructure to the next level and really building on that capacity," he said. ..."

^ Well, there you go .. BCC and the State Government on the same page at long last.

You should ram this statement down the LNP's throat to highlight the games should stop and they should get onboard.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/CrossRiverRail/status/896288417503260673

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/CrossRiverRail/status/896524828819075072

[Cazza]

That is, if the new trains ever enter into passenger service

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/CrossRiverRail/status/897004188093345792

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/CrossRiverRail/status/897654165912080386

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/CrossRiverRail/status/898003949445201921

[Stillwater]

What is Cross River Rail exactly?  Is it the world's longest running government publicity campaign you have when you don't have a railway?  Or is it a virtual reality concept?  It certainly is not something you can find useful, or catch using your go-card!

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/CrossRiverRail/status/898681026662334464

[#Metro]

I think we can package Cross River Rail and Bus Reform together.

Cross River Rail / Metro Bus Reform

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/CrossRiverRail/status/899181800479707136

[BrizCommuter]

https://twitter.com/CrossRiverRail/status/898681026662334464

You can bet it's not happening if LNP win the next QLD election!

[ozbob]

22nd August 2017

Media Release
Deputy Premier, Minister for Transport and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jackie Trad

Permanent Cross River Rail Delivery Authority CEO appointed

Graeme Newton has been appointed as the permanent Cross River Rail Delivery Authority CEO following an international open market recruitment search.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Jackie Trad said he was the right man for the job.

"Graeme Newton is an outstanding appointment – he has more than 25 years' experience in the infrastructure sector and has delivered large-scale and complex infrastructure projects in both the public and private sector," Ms Trad said.

"The Palaszczuk Government fully funded Cross River Rail in our State Budget and with this appointment, we are demonstrating that we are focussed on getting on with building it.

"Cross River Rail will create more than 1500 jobs during each year of construction and more than 3000 jobs in the most intensive year.

"Next Wednesday, an industry briefing will be held in Brisbane to provide construction and engineering companies with information about the procurement process for Cross River Rail's delivery.

"And when we open formal Expressions of Interest in September, our Buy Queensland policy will be in force.

"That means more opportunities for Queensland businesses and workers to be involved in winning work as part of the $5.4 billion project.

"Cross River Rail is vital for Queensland because it will unlock economic growth in the outer suburbs and regions, especially the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Caboolture and the Redlands.

"But even more importantly it will mean more trains, more often and commuters throughout the south east will have easy access to a 'turn up and go' world class public transport system."

The industry briefing will outline the procurement approach, details of major work packages, delivery strategy, commercial considerations and governance. It will be held at the Pullman Hotel, King George Square, Brisbane from 2:00pm, Wednesday 30 August 2017.

Ends

[Stillwater]

Ah yes, Queensland needs a 'transport muggins'