Cross River Rail Project

[Stillwater]

Maybe even some transport planners, someone from Engineers Australia, or the Property Council ... someone experienced in finance management, project management? This is a bunch of back-slapping, latte sipping dreamy strategists who would need to form a consultative committee to work out how to open a door.

[ozbob]

Earlier Facebook post ...

[ozbob]

^

Woah, so the general public cant make any RTIs about CRRDA....this is an explosive story in itself!

A Multi billion project with no mechanism for public scrutiny!

Sent to all outlets:

Call for proper public scrutiny of the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority

31st July 2020

Good Morning,

RAIL Back On Track Members are concerned that the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority (CRRDA) is not subject to the Right To Information Act 2009.

From  https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2009-013#sch.2

Reprint current from 18 November 2019 to date (accessed 28 July 2020 at 16:18)

Schedule 2

Entities to which this Act does not apply:

"the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority established under the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority Act 2016, section 8, in relation to its functions, except so far as they relate to community service obligations under that Act"

Further more the old Cross River Rail Delivery Authority Board was replaced with a board comprised of Senior Public Servants April 2020.
The current Cross River Rail Delivery Board was appointed on 14 April 2020.

Membership of the Board is:
Mr Damien Walker, Director-General, Department of State Development, Tourism and Innovation (Chair)
Mr Dave Stewart, Director-General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Ms Rachel Hunter, Under Treasurer, Queensland Treasury
Mr Neil Scales OBE, Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads
Ms Liza Carroll, Director-General, Department of Housing and Public Works
Dr Sarah Pearson, Deputy Director-General, Department of State Development, Tourism and Innovation
Mr Matthew Longland, Deputy Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads

https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au/about/our-people/

We have concerns that the Board is no longer independent in our opinion.

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet Roles and responsibilities ( https://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/publications/categories/policies-and-codes/handbooks/welcome-aboard/public-employee-roles/responsibilities.aspx ) states where public service employees are members of Government Boards this in part:

" When appointed to a Government Board in an official capacity, the public service employee should be aware of the government's policy imperatives and should not present a personal opinion or position that is contrary to either the Minister's directives or the government's policy agenda. "

We are therefore rightly concerned that activities of the CRRDA are not subject to proper public scrutiny.  We call on all political parties to consider amending legislation to remove CRRDA from Schedule 2 of the RTI legislation and make it subject to proper scrutiny.

Consideration should also be given to replace the board with members, that are in our opinion, seen to be independent of the Government of the day.

There has been a recent history of major problems with rail and rail related projects in SEQ, expensive to fix.

The last thing we need is another one.

Best wishes,

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

[#Metro]

In my view there should be independent directors from NFP and Business also there and as it is a high-value critical project with long term impacts, a delegate from the Auditor-General.

In fact, that is the first person I would add to the board.

If this were the a private sector project of a listed company, they would be held to a pretty high standard IMHO under the Corporations Act.
Continuous disclosure etc.

Is there anyone from Queensland Rail on the board, or is that just an afterthought? What about disability representation?

[MTPCo]

The Queensland Audit Office (the office of the Auditor-General) received a detailed submission raising the issues in Cross River Rail in mid-2020, and requesting that that they undertake an audit of the project. This was on the grounds that the expected reduced benefits of the project were tantamount to financial waste and mismanagement, which the QAO has a remit to investigate.

They refused, noting that they don't do individual audits and instead provide continuous reporting each year, and provided examples of previous reporting. These reports provided little more that a copy-paste overview of the project, some comments on Brisbane Live, and some generalist comments about large projects. When this was raised, and a request to provide direction if there were more detailed reports available, no further correspondence was received.

Given the above, there is nothing to suggest that a member of the QAO on the board would have an beneficial impact. They refused to even consider the idea of investigating the project when presented with a detailed submission, so it seems unlikely that more expansive action would be taken from the relatively rarefied air of the project board.

While the above is my personal experience, I am aware of others who have a similar story.

[ozbob]

^ thanks.  The Government is in a real hole now hey?

By the way, the QAG (QAO) refused a request we (RAIL Back On Track) made to look at the botched NGR project in 2015.  Had they done so, perhaps considerable sums of money would have been saved.

Useless outfit in my opinion.

[#Metro]

The Queensland Audit Office (the office of the Auditor-General) received a detailed submission raising the issues in Cross River Rail in mid-2020, and requesting that that they undertake an audit of the project. This was on the grounds that the expected reduced benefits of the project were tantamount to financial waste and mismanagement, which the QAO has a remit to investigate.

They refused, noting that they don't do individual audits and instead provide continuous reporting each year, and provided examples of previous reporting. These reports provided little more that a copy-paste overview of the project, some comments on Brisbane Live, and some generalist comments about large projects. When this was raised, and a request to provide direction if there were more detailed reports available, no further correspondence was received.

Given the above, there is nothing to suggest that a member of the QAO on the board would have an beneficial impact. They refused to even consider the idea of investigating the project when presented with a detailed submission, so it seems unlikely that more expansive action would be taken from the relatively rarefied air of the project board.

While the above is my personal experience, I am aware of others who have a similar story.

Wow! Do you have that correspondence on file at all?

[MTPCo]

Wow! Do you have that correspondence on file at all?

Yes, I retain all correspondence. I was referring to it as I made the post earlier to ensure I was capturing things correctly.

[ozbob]

More evidence for the ' Commission of Inquiry " or perhaps even a " Royal Commission " due to the degree of cluster-fuk (giant) of this project hey?

Clearly the CRR Board is a meaningless entity.  They must be to allow this shambles to proceed as is.
I did write to them, never received a response.  It is not a ' real board '.

The QAO is not on the ball at all.

Work continues on the ' Citizens Inquiry into Operational Deficiencies with CRR ' however. 

One can only try ..



[Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I from 19 Squadron during the Battle of Britain]

[ozbob]

CRR Board still not updated ...

I guess the impending departure of the DDG TransLink is another little problem for them ...   

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1402638287559270404

[ozbob]

Good Morning Lurkers! 

Bit nippy this morning hey?

Ha ha ...

[ozbob]

[BrizCommuter]

Future of Yeronga station - a three tracked bottleneck.

[#Metro]

Department of Information and Social Media looks busy 

[ozbob]

Future of Yeronga station - a three tracked bottleneck.

Plenty of room for 4 tracks, a central island platform on the eastern track pair and express pair west.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2021/536-2021.pdf

Question on Notice
No. 536
Asked on 11 May 2021

MR S MINNIKIN ASKED MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS (HON M BAILEY)

QUESTION:
With reference to the Cross River Rail Compliance Unit—
Will the Minister advise (a) the current number of staff, (b) the budget for the 2020–21 financial
year and (c) the activities undertaken by the unit since it established in February 2020?

ANSWER:
I thank the Member for Chatsworth for the question.

Cross River Rail is Queenslandʼs largest infrastructure project and work is now underway at
12 worksites across Brisbane.

The Palaszczuk Government is committed to ensuring that, first and foremost, Queenslanders
benefit from government funded infrastructure projects, by supporting local jobs and businesses
that maximise economic, social and environmental outcomes.

As the former Minister for Cross River Rail said when she announced the establishment of the
Compliance Unit in February 2020, "I want to ensure I have the right people with the right skills
to deliver this project and hold CPB and Pulse Consortium to account" (Media Release sourced
at https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/89425). The Compliance Unit works daily to ensure
the benefits of the project are delivered to Queenslanders, with $4 million per day on average
being pumped into the economy, and over 2400 people having worked on the project and over
800 supplier and sub-contractor companies already benefitting from supplier contracts.

With reference to the question:
(a) the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority (Delivery Authority) has four full-time equivalent
(FTE) positions within the Compliance Unit
(b) the positions are budgeted for within the Delivery Authority's approved budget of
$1.483 billion for 2020–21 [Budget Paper 3 2020–21]
(c) the Delivery Authority's Compliance Unit undertakes ongoing auditing and oversight of the
contractors' best practice principles obligations to ensure the commitments made by the
contractors are being met.

Cross River Rail would not be happening if those opposite were in office.
Economies worldwide are enduring the harshest economic downturn in generations, and
Queensland's economy is not immune. Every job counts more than ever right now.
Thousands of construction workers on Cross River Rail would have been robbed of their jobs if
those opposite managed to stop Cross River Rail.

The Palaszczuk Government will always back commuters and jobs, which is why we chose the
most sensible Cross River Rail route that benefits the greatest number of commuters consistent
with our 2017 commitment.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2021/517-2021.pdf

Question on Notice
No. 517
Asked on 11 May 2021

MR M CRANDON ASKED MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS (HON M BAILEY)

QUESTION:
Will the Minister provide addresses for the approved spoil disposal locations for the Cross River
Rail project and outline the approval agencies and processes for spoil location site approvals?

ANSWER:
I thank the Member for Coomera for the question.

On 20 December 2012, the Coordinator-General evaluated the Cross River Rail (CRR)
Environmental Impact Statement, which is required for a declared coordinated project under the
State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971. The Coordinator-General
recommended the project could proceed subject to certain conditions for minimisation and
management of environmental impacts. The CRR Reference Project proposed all construction
spoil be placed at Swanbank.

On 8 June 2017, the Coordinator-General evaluated CRR Request for Project Change (RfPC) 1,
which proposed a refined project reference design to enhance the project's delivery. As part of
RfPC 1, the Coordinator-General also evaluated the placement of construction spoil at one or
more of the five sites:

 Larapinta, Paradise Road
 Brisbane Airport (also referred to as TradeCoast, Eagle Farm, Schneider Road)
 Swanbank, Swanbank Road
 Pine Mountain, Pine Mountain Road, Mount Gravatt
 Port of Brisbane, Port Drive.

These spoil sites were considered based on pre-determined, designated haulage routes to
minimise disruption and inconvenience to the public.

To build CRR's 5.9 kilometre twin tunnels, four new underground stations, eight rebuilt
aboveground stations and three new stations on the Gold Coast, the project is expected to
generate over 1.4 million cubic metres of spoil. Most of the spoil is currently sent to the
TradeCoast area, near the Brisbane Airport, to be beneficially reused at the Mayne Yard and
Clapham Yard stabling facilities under CRR's Rail, Integration and Systems contract.

Every effort is made to find sustainable methods of reusing spoil and construction and demolition
material taken from project sites. At Roma Street, 97 per cent of construction and demolition
waste, mostly from the Brisbane Transit Centre demolition, was diverted from landfill. This
included 67,818 tonnes of crushed concrete and 4098 tonnes of steel and non-ferrous metals.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2021/539-2021.pdf

Question on Notice
No. 539
Asked on 11 May 2021

MR D PURDIE ASKED MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS (HON M BAILEY)

QUESTION:
With reference to the Cross River Rail Woolloongabba Station—
Will the Minister advise the maximum number of passengers per hour the station has been
designed for and the assumptions behind this calculation?

ANSWER:
I thank the Member for Ninderry for the question.

Cross River Rail (CRR) is Queensland's largest infrastructure project and work is now underway
at 12 worksites across Brisbane. This includes excavation at all four underground station sites,
both the northern and southern tunnel portals, and early works at three separate above ground
stations—Exhibition, Yeronga and Fairfield.

2021 is the 'Year of Tunnelling' with Merle—the second of the project's two Tunnel Boring
Machines (TBM)—joining Else and starting her journey from Woolloongabba north to Albert Street
earlier this month. TBM Else and TBM Merle will tunnel 3.6 kilometres from Woolloongabba under
the Brisbane River and CBD and through to the northern portal, emerging from underground later
this year.

At Woolloongabba, the maximum number of passengers that could pass through the station
within any given hour would need to consider many variables, such as the time of day, frequency
of services, and potentially, social distancing requirements.

As outlined in the CRR Business Case, CRR will provide the capacity to run up to 24 trains per
hour through the twin tunnels. The 220-metre long Woolloongabba station platforms and banks
of escalators and elevators have been specifically designed for optimal event-day performance.

This requirement is also specified in the Project Agreement with the major contractor to
sufficiently meet peak capacity.

CRR will significantly improve access to premier sporting and entertainment events at The
Gabba, where commuters will be able to travel to by train in three minutes from Albert Street
station in the heart of the city, or in just over two minutes from South East Queensland's second
busiest interchange transport hub at Boggo Road.

The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland
Rail and other experts, are planning the seamless integration of new services into the South East
Queensland rail network once CRR becomes operational. This work includes consideration of
wider rail network strategies, and other factors like the impact on patronage due to the COVID-19
pandemic.

Queenslanders can have full confidence that planning to determine the exact configuration and
timing of services will be completed well ahead of CRR's opening. CRR would not be happening
if those opposite were in office.

Economies worldwide are enduring the harshest economic downturn in generations, and
Queensland's economy is not immune. Every job counts more than ever right now. Thousands
of construction workers on CRR would have been robbed of their jobs if those opposite managed
to stop CRR.

The Palaszczuk Government will always back commuters and jobs, which is why we chose the
most sensible CRR route that benefits the greatest number of commuters consistent with our
2017 commitment.

====

^ Question not answered. Do they know?   

" ... Queenslanders can have full confidence that planning to determine the exact configuration and
timing of services will be completed well ahead of CRR's opening.  ... "

^ rubbish.  How can they build the track layouts if they don't know the network configuration? 

They must think we are fools ...    No wonder there is a lack of confidence in the operational aspects of the project.

They really are idiots to think we would swallow that nonsense.

[Stillwater]

As outlined in the CRR Business Case, CRR will provide the capacity to run up to 24 trains per hour through the twin tunnels.

Yes, yes, that is the TRAIN CAPACITY , but the actual question was about passenger (presumably average daytime) NUMBERS.

Reference was made to social distancing, might as well have mentioned whether rain would affect numbers or whether everyone is off celebrating Mother's Day.

[ozbob]

^

" CRR will provide the capacity to run up to 24 trains per hour through the twin tunnels."

The Minister ( or whomever is writing this junk ) cannot even get that correct. 
It is 24 trains per hour per direction so it really is up to 48 trains per hour through the twin tunnels.

The Question process in Parliament is a joke.

[BrizCommuter]

^

" CRR will provide the capacity to run up to 24 trains per hour through the twin tunnels."

The Minister ( or whomever is writing this junk ) cannot even get that correct. 
It is 24 trains per hour per direction so it really is up to 48 trains per hour through the twin tunnels.

The Question process in Parliament is a joke.

Good luck with managing "event period" 24tph with only 2 sets of doors per carriage side, and lacking counter-peak infrastructure. I can see the Beenleigh Line getting axed again (and possibly even the inner-Caboolture Line too).  The London Olympics operated an all day 24tph, and event peak 30tph (in both directions) on 2 tube lines (plus lots of other transport options).

[ozbob]

Yo, unlikely to see anything like 24 trains per hour per direction due to the poor track layouts north and south.

This is an interesting document:

Australian Institute for Progress

Cross River Rail Project
Review of Challenges and
Opportunities

https://aip.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CRR_Charles_and_Sayeg_Final_20_10_28.pdf

1.2 Review Objectives and Scope
The purpose of this review of the CRR project is to assess current and emerging
challenges, highlight issues and risks and look towards potential opportunities to
maximise the value for money of the project.
In view of the current prevailing difficulties with access to persons concerned with,
and knowledgeable on, CRR it has been necessary to rely on publicly available
documents for data, analysis and conclusions, filtered for technical relevance and
integrity by the authors.

*

.. 6 Business Queensland. 2017. Cross River Rail Business Case. August. Page 140. Figure 6.12 indicates the maximum number of
inbound train paths that can be operated through the CRR tunnels at 2036 is 34 per hour or 71% of the ultimate capacity
of 48 per hour, with the latter dependent on "augmentation of the connecting surface network north and south of the
project."

* page 5

*

3.5 Governance
The CRR project had an independent Board reporting to the Minister responsible for
Cross River Rail, however the Board was replaced by a board of senior public
servants in April 2020.

Independent governance arrangements need to be instituted for the CRR project to ensure
accountability and value for money.

* page 10

*

8. Recommendations
It is recommended that:
1. Given the recent changes in governance with the removal of the nongovernment members of the CRRA,
the new Minister should immediately commission an independent review of CRR, ensuring the Commissioner has
the necessary investigative powers to assess the overall performance of the
project.
2. The investigation should also include a full technical review, identification of
major risks, as well as confirmation of the total direct, indirect, and associated
capital costs for the project and the whole--of life and operating costs for the
project.
3. The investigation should also identify and recommend ways to better
integrate the planning and delivery of other associated infrastructure projects
such as inland rail and inner city freight corridors, Brisbane Metro and major
urban redevelopment projects such as Queens Wharf Brisbane and the
proposed Eagle Street redevelopment.
4. The investigation should also consider whether current governance
arrangements are best suited to the evolving nature of the project as well as
mechanisms to ensure ongoing reviews of the project. This includes the
concept of "pop up" governance such as an ongoing, independent and
appropriately-powered Inspector-General to develop and implement an
ongoing assurance programme for the Minister for Transport as the Project
Sponsor.

* page 24

[ozbob]

^

Oh dear ....   

On the money hey lurkers? 

[Arnz]

^

" CRR will provide the capacity to run up to 24 trains per hour through the twin tunnels."

The Minister ( or whomever is writing this junk ) cannot even get that correct. 
It is 24 trains per hour per direction so it really is up to 48 trains per hour through the twin tunnels.

The Question process in Parliament is a joke.

Good luck with managing "event period" 24tph with only 2 sets of doors per carriage side, and lacking counter-peak infrastructure. I can see the Beenleigh Line getting axed again (and possibly even the inner-Caboolture Line too).  The London Olympics operated an all day 24tph, and event peak 30tph (in both directions) on 2 tube lines (plus lots of other transport options).

or rather inner-Shorncliffe line* instead of Caboolture considering all trains to CAB and NBR run express past the inner stations.

Although I'd suspect it may possibly a be stop all inner-city stations to the CRR junction with the possible exception of Traveltrain and the single Gympie North north (yes it's likely Gympie North will still be the 1 peak service in 2032 on the scenario that CAMCOS yet again is put on the backburner)

[ozbob]

Interesting reading for you Lurkers

Head over to > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=14294.msg247928#msg247928

#youareverywelcome

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Nod for trucks full of soil on Sundays leaves Brisbane council dirty $

Soil being dug from Brisbane during the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project will be carried away by truck through the CBD on Sundays, against the will of the city council.

The state's Coordinator-General has ruled in favour of the practice, saying it would allow the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority's infrastructure work to be finalised sooner. ...

[JimmyP]

Sunday would be the quietest day of the week in the City, no? Would be the best day to have the trucks going through the City I would have thought?

[BrizCommuter]

Sunday would be the quietest day of the week in the City, no? Would be the best day to have the trucks going through the City I would have thought?

Just silly politics by the LNP run BCC.

[ozbob]

Facebook ...

[ozbob]

 

https://twitter.com/SteveMinnikinMP/status/1404659919333126148

[ozbob]

^

https://budget.qld.gov.au/files/Budget_2021-22_Capital_Statement.pdf page 6



+ 27.6%

[ozbob]

Show us the money, NOT! 
or ... why the Federal Government is not supporting Cross River Rail

>>> https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=14294.msg248286#msg248286

[Stillwater]

So, now a $6.9 billion project?  What's in and what's out?

[ozbob]

So, now a $6.9 billion project?  What's in and what's out?

Hopefully we will find out in estimates if the Opposition is on the ball ...

[#Metro]

So, now a $6.9 billion project?  What's in and what's out?

Gold bullion sleepers, platinum overhead line equipment, fine-china electrical insulators, imported Swiss railway clocks, diamond-encrusted lifts and escalators, choreographed and synchronised grand water foundations at each station, Carrara marble tunnel liner, bronze busts of Queensland red team premiers and former transport portfolio holders, red carpet in all concourses, concrete from Queensland  rare and endangered Great barrier reef corals (mined under special environmental licence) and incorporating the purest white Whitsunday beach sand shipped to Brisbane, dramatic grand chandeliers for each and every platform at La Stupenda Grand Central Roma Street III Station and a new grand piano for Old Central Station.

All of these investments will create a world-class transport system to rival the Moscow metro and prepare for the Olympics. Go cards will also be simplified from green, blue and red to simply Gold and be rebranded as the Translink 'GoldCard'. This will truly transform the way commuters travel as an EXCLUSIVE 2 trains per hour descend into named tunnel portals Aladdin's cave North and South.

Cross River Rail | Transforming the way you travel.

[ozbob]

Good Morning Lurkers! 

Bit of a worry hey?  Why the non transparency?  Something to hide?   

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1407039562766065670

[ozbob]

[kram0]

I travelled on the train for the first time in a long time through Mayne yard yesterday, and it seems they are well advanced on this part of the CRR project. There is no hope of them altering what was on the most up to date plans unfortunately for track layout in this area. 

[ozbob]

Another half baked project failure arriving in 2025 ... Cross River Rail fail ...

Operational cluster-fuk.  Why do you think they are hiding it all?  Contrast to the transparency in Melbourne for Metro Tunnel.

Chalk and cheese.   Really is sad they are building failure.

As soon as I can, I am off on a Southern Suburban rail tour too look at sensible projects in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

[ozbob]

And the failure to resubmit  an improved business case as invited to by IA is scandalous.   

It shows that they lacked the confidence in the project outcomes to get it over the line.  Perhaps they should have listened and acted on the feedback they got not only from IA but other experts, who were largely ignored.