Federal Budget 2010 - 2011

[ozbob]

The 2010-2011 Budget will be released at

7.30pm Tuesday 11 May 2010

Access to the Budget papers will be available from the following websites:

http://www.australia.gov.au

http://www.finance.gov.au

http://www.aph.gov.au

http://www.budget.gov.au

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

Infrastructure funding?  Possibility ...

[ozbob]

... $1 billion to renew rail networks ...

http://www.budget.gov.au/2010-11/content/at_a_glance/html/at_a_glance.htm

[ozbob]

http://www.budget.gov.au/2010-11/content/bp2/html/bp2_capital-10.htm

Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

Australian Rail Track Corporation — investment

Capital ($m)    2009‑10    2010‑11    2011‑12    2012‑13    2013‑14
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government    -    -    -    -    -

The Government will provide $183.2 million in equity in 2010‑11 to the Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited (ARTC) to ensure the ARTC has the resources necessary to complete its capital works program. The ARTC is undertaking an extensive capital works program which includes increasing the capacity of the Hunter Valley coal lines and developing the Southern Sydney Freight Line, using a mix of equity and debt funding.

See also the related capital measure titled Australian Rail Track Corporation — new projects to improve productivity in the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government portfolio.

Australian Rail Track Corporation — new projects to improve productivity

Capital ($m)    2009‑10    2010‑11    2011‑12    2012‑13    2013‑14
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government    -    -    -    -    -

The Government will provide equity funding of $996.0 million over three years to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) Limited to upgrade the national rail network. The upgrades will substantially increase productivity by reducing rail freight traffic times, improving line capacity, improving services to consigners and reducing line maintenance costs.

The lines that are being upgraded include NSW North Coast (easing of curves to increase capacity and decrease journey times); Goulburn — Moss Vale — Glenlee and Gheringhap — Maroona (the provision of passing loops to allow overtaking); Broken Hill — Parkes (replacing timber sleepers with concrete sleepers); and
Albury — Melbourne — Geelong and Whyalla — Broken Hill and Parkes — Cootamundra (rerailing to allow larger trains).

Funding will also be provided for construction of two additional crossing loops and rail replacement on the Koolyanobbing to Kalgoorlie line, subject to ARTC concluding arrangements for access to the interstate network in Western Australia with Westnet Rail on acceptable terms and conditions.

[#Metro]

There was no money for any of the top priorities in the state government's infrastructure wishlist, but funding for two road projects was brought forward.

Work on the Douglas Arterial Road is expected to start earlier after $44 million, initially promised for 2010-11 to 2012-13, was brought forward to this financial year.

Meanwhile, $500 million originally budgeted for the Ipswich Motorway over the next two years will now also be paid by July, to reflect progress made on the project to date.

But there was no money in the budget for the four top priorities in the state's Infrastructure Australia submission - the Darra to Springfield rail project, the Northern Link road tunnel, a rail line betwen Kippa-Ring and Petrie, or the Toowomba Bypass.

Ohhhhhh.... 

Don't worry, the Aquarium is getting a critical upgrade though...

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority will receive an extra $2.1 million in each of the next two years, as well as $4 million to upgrade critical infrastructure at the Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/federal-budget/lean-pickings-for-queensland-20100511-uui6.html

[ozbob]

There might be a few porkies up the sleeve for the federal election later this year.  They will have to do something, seems a developing hostility between the state and federal forces ...

[Jon Bryant]

The overview mentions a

$5.6 billion for a new infrastructure fund

but I can not see any details of this fund.  How does it differ from the Infrastructure Australia fund?

[Jon Bryant]

Found the Infrastructre Page with some more details www.budget.gov.au/2010-11/content/bp3/html/bp3_spp-6.htm. 

In 2010‑11, the States will receive $3.9 billion in payments from the Commonwealth to support state infrastructure services. These payments include $2.7 billion for the Nation Building Program.

Policy decisions included in this Budget in the infrastructure services sector include the establishment of an Infrastructure Fund associated with the introduction of the Resource Super Profits Tax (RSPT) on 1 July 2012. The Commonwealth's initial funding contribution will be $700 million in 2012‑13. In 2013‑14 the contribution will be $735 million.

There is still a significant bias towards roads with over 70% of the budget each year out to 2013-14 spent on roads with a max of 22% on rail.  Until this is reversed we will continue to build a unsustainable national transport system.

Nothing to celebrate at all.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Roads to nowhere

Roads to nowhere
TONY MOORE AND CAMERON ATFIELD
May 11, 2010 - 11:08PM

A lack of new federal infrastructure funding in Queensland has been met with disappointment, but not surprise, by Queensland's leading road lobby group.

RACQ spokesman Gary Fites said it was disappointing major Brisbane projects, like Kingsford Smith Drive and the Northern Link tunnel, missed out on additional federal funding in Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan's election year Budget last night.

"We're hardly surprised - the fact is this was always going to be a pull-your-belts in kind of budget and they, like the state government, are looking at reining in their spending and they don't have as much to sell off in Canberra as the Queensland Government has," he said.

"But that doesn't say we're any less disappointed and I think governments nevertheless have a duty to be forward-looking and recognise road and rail infrastructure can really be a great investment in the future in terms of supporting economic growth."

Mr Fites said they approached the budget "with a healthy air of realism" and did not expect any pleasant surprises.

"There's not so much to digest as far as motorists are concerned, but we welcome the continuation of federal funding of major highways and black spots, but there's nothing in this budget to kick off any genuinely new projects," he said.

But State Treasurer Andrew Fraser defended Mr Swan's Budget and said it provided important health funds, extra money for training workers as the economy improved and had decided to directly fund its $355 million share of the Gold Coast's Rapid Transit project.

"The Federal Government has made good on its promise to take a bigger role in funding the health system for a growth state like ours," he told brisbanetimes.com.au last night.

Mr Fraser said the budget allocated health funds, including changes to Medicare, suited to Queensland's ageing population.

"One of the most important initiatives is the Medicare Local Program which will provide access to a GP outside normal hours," he said.

"Everyone knows kids don't get sick at 3pm in the afternoon, they get sick at 3am and this program is not only good for families, but otherwise these people would be turning up at emergency departments at local hospitals."

Mr Fraser rejected criticism that the Budget contained nothing specific for fast-growing south-east Queensland.

"One of the most important investments in the budget is the $661 million for the skills program," he said.

"Now for a growing economy - and an economy that knows only too well in recent years the problems of skills shortage and capacity constraint - that investment in human capital is a very welcome investment.

"It comes at the right time in terms of the recovery and at the right time in terms of building capacity for the future.

"And investing in people is just as important as investing in bricks and mortar at this time of the recovery."

Mr Fraser said the Budget provided money for the previously announced projects like the Ipswich Motorway, the Douglas Arterial Road near Townsville and had decided to directly fund the Gold Coast's Rapid Transit project, where it had previously acted as an equity partner.

"The Commonwealth has accepted the position put by Queensland that grant funding is appropriate for this project," Mr Fraser said.

"That grant funding is locked in and loaded and that money will be delivered by June 30.

"And that means the Gold Coast Rapid Transit Project is locked in and ready to go."

A spokesman for Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said Brisbane City Council would receive $50 million in the 2010/11 financial year as part of the $500 million previously announced for the Northern Link tunnel between the Toowong and the Inner City Bypass.

The spokseman also said an upgrade of the Warrego Highway between Roma and Mitchell would begin later this year, to be completed by 2012.

Mr Fites said the Warrego was a "grossly, woefully inadequate" highway and needed urgent attention.

"One just shudders to think of how it's going to cope with the expected traffic growth and the traffic growth right now being generated by the energy industry out there," he said.

"Tie that in with the no-mention of the Toowoomba Bypass this year - that's an integral part of any upgrade to the Warrego Highway.

"Let's try to make sure our Queensland government works hard to get a fair share of that infrastructure fund and an upgrade of the Warrego, along with the Toowoomba Bypass, would tick all the boxes as far as what we understand are the criteria for funding through this new infrastructure fund."

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Faster freight to Mellbourne

Faster freight to Mellbourne
TONY MOORE
May 12, 2010 - 5:00AM

Trains will travel three hours faster by 2011 between Brisbane and Melbourne after $1 billion was allocated to the interstate rail link in last night's federal budget.

The extra $1 billion - on top of the $1.2 billion allocated in the 2008 federal budget - will go to three projects which would slice 45 minutes from the rail journey.

The straightening of 58 curves on the rail line between the Queensland/New South Wales border and Kyogle was funded last night.

This work alone will mean time savings of a further 35 minutes southbound Brisbane to Melbourne and about 45 minutes northbound.

Work done last year sliced more than two hours from the interstate rail journey, an Australian Rail Track Corporation spokesman said last night.

"What this means for people is time savings for commuters and for rail freight," he said.

"And importantly, what it means is extra trains on the track.

"The new projects funded as part of the budget announcement tonight will further enhance these time savings and therefore increases in capacity."

Improvements at the Acacia Ridge rail freight depot were funded last year.

Other projects to be funded include $170 million to straighten the line between Maitland and the Queensland border, more passing loops around the NSW towns of Goulburn and Moss Vale, and $565 million for rerailing the line and new sleepers around Broken Hill.

Another $110 million will be spent re-railing the line between Albury, Melbourne and Geelong.

All up, the ARTC network skirts just south of Brisbane down to Sydney, and drops down to Melbourne and Portland, while another line heads west to Port Augusta and Whyalla in South Australia.

Last year the ARTC said time savings in June last year had already saved more than two hours.

"Steel trains running from Morandoo in NSW to Acacia Ridge over the QLD border have had their average transit time reduced by 2 hours 22 minutes to 17 hours 34 minutes," a spokesman said.

"And on the return journey the average transit time has been reduced by 1 hr 39 minutes to 16 hours 1 minute."

- with AAP

[ozbob]

From Transport and Logistcs News click here!

Budget boost to rail, transport regulation

Budget boost to rail, transport regulation

The Federal Government has boosted the ARTC's coffers by $1 billion to be spent on freight rail infrastructure improvements, committed $71 million to Moorebank, and announced a host of other measures in support of freight efficiency and productivity.

As part of its 'Tax Plan for our Future', the government has also announced that it will establish a new infrastructure fund to assist the miners, worth more than $5.6 billion over ten years, and will make infrastructure spending a permanent feature of Commonwealth and State budgets.

Funding will be distributed in a way which recognises that resource-rich states face large associated infrastructure demands.

Rail

The new projects are spread across four states and expected to create more than 1,500 jobs, mostly in regional Australia.

The required material - the new concrete sleepers and metal rails - will be sourced from factories in Whyalla, Grafton, Geelong, Mittagong and Wagga Wagga.

The seven new projects will be:

    * Straightening the line between Maitland and the Queensland border at 58 locations (NSW), helping to reduce transit times along the eastern seaboard by almost one hour. The $170 million project will support 180 jobs and take approximately 14 months to complete.
    * Building three double track passing loops near the NSW towns of Goulburn, Moss Vale and Glenlee, providing trains with more overtaking opportunities and fewer delays. The $24 million project will support 35 jobs and take approximately 20 months to complete.
    * Re-railing the lines between Whyalla and Broken Hill and between Parkes and Broken Hill (NSW/South Australia), an upgrade which will allow both to be used by heavier trains. The $312 million project will support 275 jobs and take approximately 25 months to complete.
    * Replacing the existing old wooden sleepers on the line between Parkes and Broken Hill (NSW) with one million new concrete sleepers, greatly improving its capacity as well as reducing transit times and the need for temporary speed restrictions during summer. The $253 million project will support up to 370 jobs and take approximately 13 months to complete.
    * Re-railing the line between Albury to Melbourne to Geelong (Victoria), reducing transit times and allowing it to be used by heavier trains. The $110 million project will support up to 275 jobs and take approximately 13 months to complete.
    * Building four new passing loops between Gheringhap and Maroona (Victoria), providing trains with more overtaking opportunities and fewer delays. The $32 million project will help support up to 40 jobs and take approximately 16 months to complete.
    * Re-railing the line between Koolyanobbing and Kalgoorlie (WA) and build two new passing loops, reducing transit times and delays. The $95 million project will support 315 jobs and take approximately 11 months to complete. Investment for this project is subject to ARTC concluding arrangements for access to the interstate network in WA with WestNet Rail.

In addition, the 2010-11 Budget allocates $70.7 million to complete the detailed planning on the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal Project in Sydney's South West, with the staged redevelopment of the hub expected to start in 2013, subject to final approval.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation will drive this work in partnership with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and the site's current owner, the Department of Defence.

Regulation

From 2013, maritime safety, rail safety and heavy vehicles will for the first time be regulated nationally.

This reform is expected to improve safety, simplify the compliance task for transport operators, and boost national income by up to $2.4 billion a year.

The new funding will be used to:

    * Establish a national heavy vehicle regulator based in Brisbane with offices around the country and responsibility for registration and aligning the regulations applying to trucks and buses over 4.5 tonnes.
    * Establish the national rail safety regulator in Adelaide, with offices around the country providing day-to-day oversight of the country's urban passenger rail networks and interstate freight operations. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will become the national investigator of rail accidents.
    * Provide the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) – based in Canberra – with the extra resources it needs to regulate all commercial vessels, not just those involved in interstate and international trade.

Aviation

The government is providing the aviation safety regulator and security agencies with extra long-term resources. An extra $89.9 million over four years will go to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

A $200 million Aviation Security Package will provide for better screening, improved policing at major airports and stronger security requirements at regional airports.

$5.9 million over two years will be earmarked to upgrade remote airports.

The 2010-11 Budget also provides $8.5 million to undertake long-term planning for Sydney. The 'Aviation Strategic Plan for the Sydney Region' will identify potential sites for a second Sydney airport, the additional road and rail infrastructure that will be required and investment strategies that will deliver this additional capacity.

The plan - which will be developed in partnership with the NSW Government and is expected to be finalised in the first half of 2011 - will also consider the future use of the Badgerys Creek site given it has been ruled out as a location for a future airport.

The funding being provided "will be used to review existing airport capacity, and to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the aviation needs of the Sydney region."

[ozbob]

http://www.artc.com.au/Article/Detail.aspx?p=6&id=274

Budget 2010 Project Snapshot

11 May 2010

The Federal Government has announced that it would invest $1 billion into Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to build on existing investment strategies and deliver productivity benefits to the overall economy through investment in transport infrastructure. This equity injection supplements the previous Nation Building investment of $1.2 billion made by the Australian Government under the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Package in 2008.
Summary of Projects

ARTC has identified key projects which can be brought on-line quickly and provide productivity improvements for the economy in the transport sector and economic stimulus in 2010.

The new program of works is targeted to deliver:

   * Improvements to economic productivity within the transport sector.
   * Environmental benefits, particularly through reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
   * Enhancements to the performance of rail transport.
   * Strong employment outcomes from the dollars invested.

Identified works have an ability to ramp-up quickly, with a target of material employment benefits within six months. The key program characteristics are:

   * Total Investment - $1 billion
   * 13,135 months of employment
   * 218,257 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved

Below is a summary of the projects that will be brought forward and undertaken as part of the investment provided by the government.
North - South Corridor

Outcomes

   * 44 minute transit time reduction northbound and 35 minute reduction southbound between Melbourne and Brisbane
   * Reduced congestion in the NSW Southern Highlands, giving greater reliability and timetable flexibility
   * Reduced maintenance and train operating costs
   * Enable increase in axle load to 25 tonnes at 80 km/h or 23 tonnes at 10o km/h on the Sydney - Melbourne corridor

Projects

  1. North Coast Curve Easing
     The program eases tight curves at 58 discrete sites on the North Coast. It aims to achieve significant improvement in transit time through minor adjustments to the track, largely within the existing land corridor.
  2. Goulburn, Moss Vale and Glenlee Double Track Passing Loops
     To provide passing loops on the double-track between Yass and Southern Sydney to facilitate overtaking moves.
  3. Rerailing Albury - Melbourne - Geelong
     To rerail 239 track km of 47 kg/m rail in new 60 kg/m rail and upgrade deficient bridges and turnouts.

East - West Corridor

Outcomes

   * Enable increase in axle load to 25 tonnes at 80 km/h or 23 tonnes at 10o km/h on the Whyalla - Sydney corridor
   * Reduced maintenance and train operating costs
   * Reduced damage to goods in transit
   * Elimination of temporary speed restrictions from heat issues
   * A 3.5 minute reduction in transit time between Melbourne - Adelaide
   * Speed increase from 90 km/h to 100 km/h at 23 tonnes axle loads and reduce congestion between Koolyanobbing and Kalgoorlie

Projects

  1. Resleepering of Broken Hill - Parkes
     To complete concrete resleepering of the main line interstate network with the resleepering of 691 kms of track (1,040,000 sleepers).
  2. Rerailing of Whyalla - Broken Hill and Parkes - Cootamundra
     To rerail 794 track km of 47 kg/m rail in new 60 kg/m rail to increase speed/axle loads.
  3. Gheringhap - Maroona Passing Loops
     To construct 4 new passing loops between Gheringhap and Maroona, providing immediate capacity gains and working towards the introduction of 1800m train in this corridor.
  4. Koolyanobbing-Kalgoorlie Capacity Upgrade
     Improvement in axle loads and speeds of services in the Kalgoorlie to Koolyanobbing section, through a combination of additional loops and rerailing in heavier rail.

[dwb]

What, did you expect them to fund cross river rail this year?

They haven't done their EIS, they haven't got a final alignment, nor design, nor even a reference design to take to market.

How on earth would they fund it this year? Allocated money needs to get spent or it gets lost. Ask for money prematurely and lose it.

[tomato]

There was no money for any of the top priorities in the state government's infrastructure wishlist, but funding for two road projects was brought forward.............

But there was no money in the budget for the four top priorities in the state's Infrastructure Australia submission - the Darra to Springfield rail project, the Northern Link road tunnel, a rail line betwen Kippa-Ring and Petrie, or the Toowomba Bypass.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/federal-budget/lean-pickings-for-queensland-20100511-uui6.html

Is the Queensland Infrastructure Australia submission available somewhere on the web? ( Have the QR IA submission on file )

[somebody]

So none of the Centennial, Hoare or Wentworth deviations on the Junee-Sydney stretch can be done for $1bn?  Seem like these are odd priorities.

[tomato]

Is the Queensland Infrastructure Australia submission available somewhere on the web? ( Have the QR IA submission on file )

Answering my own question...YES ....

the Infrastructure Australia website has had a major revamp (sometime in the last 6 to 9 mnths) & is much easier to follow (& refer back to).

Home > June 2011 Report to COAG and Assessments > 2010/11 Submissions ....http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/2011_coag/submissions.aspx

2010/11 Submissions ..... the excitement builds....

" State Submissions
•New South Wales Government 2010-11 Submission

•Victorian Government 2009-10 Submission

•Tasmanian Government 2010-11 Submission

•Western Australian Government 2010-11 Submission

•Queensland Government 2009-10 Submission"......http://www.dlgp.qld.gov.au/key-infrastructure/national-infrastructure-priorities.html

.........................(well Qld is only one year behind... )

Queensland Government submission to Infrastructure Australia
At the request of Infrastructure Australia, the Queensland Government provided an update on the current and emerging priorities for the state in October 2009.

The covering letter of transmittal to Infrastructure Australia is available, released under the Right to Information Act 2009.  Queensland Government submission to Infrastructure Australia October 2009 ( 264 KB).


The covering letter...sorry to get your hopes up ....same old crap years out of date..... :conf..... only released when some one threatened

the Right to Information Act 2009.......