Brisbane City Council buying Queensland Motorways?

[#Metro]

BRISBANE City Council is trying to stitch together a joint venture with the private sector to bid for the State Government's $3 billion Queensland Motorways asset.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said City Hall had entered discussions with one private sector organisation after the State Government confirmed it would not stand in the way of any bid.

The Government is selling the tolling franchise of Queensland Motorways, which holds assets including the Gateway Motorway and Logan Motorway, as part of the $15  billion state assets sales program.

It is envisaged the creation of such a transport infrastructure company would be "off balance sheet", meaning that its assets and borrowings would not be included on the council's books. Such a structure may have more flexibility and balance capacity to raise fresh debt and new capital to pay for big-ticket items such as the planned Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/city-hall-wooing-franchise-partners-in-bid-for-queensland-motorways/story-e6freqmx-1225911071345

[Derwan]

I disagree with the sell-off.  The idea of toll roads is to pay off the construction costs of the roads.  But now the QLD Government is selling the roads themselves, effectively guaranteeing that tolls will be on those roads forever.

Given that the sell-off is happening, I think it would be better if council bought it - rather than private enterprise alone.  Private enterprise will simply try to push up their profits, which means the roads will suffer and toll prices will increase.

[somebody]

Is the sell off a straight sale, or only a lease for x years?

[#Metro]

I support the sale of Queensland Motorways. Just NOT to Brisbane City Council!

Given that the sell-off is happening, I think it would be better if council bought it - rather than private enterprise alone.  Private enterprise will simply try to push up their profits, which means the roads will suffer and toll prices will increase.

It might finally reflect the actual costs of maintainence and upkeep of those roads. Its hard to say what the council might do- would they underprice the toll like they currently do with BCC owned City car parks? Or would they use it as an ATM and use the toll revenue to build things (what will they build- more roads to increase the traffic load on that tollway, so they get more revenue?). Will they hold off on public transport improvements around Kingsford Smith to funnel more and more traffic through the tollways?

With higher tolls, more people might think of catching public transport.
Brisbane City Council should focus on spending billions to improve the public transport services not buy and make profits from motorways.

[Sunbus610]

You go for it BCC (and Mr Newman) but I feel it a little disappointing that a local govt body is having to buy valuable assets like this off a state govt body!! I so wish we could sack Captain Bligh for bad management and incompetence of the state purse, well........had she been in the private sector they would have shown her the door by now!!

[Jonno]

Enough of my rates has gone towards road sthat have not fixed 1 minute of congestion.  The Lord Mayor and his road bsession will drive the Council broke.  The exposure on Northern Link alone is enough to bankrupt the Council.  The inner Cities are now Green voters time to listern Lird Mayor.  WE DON'T WANT ANY MORE ROADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WTN]

I support the sale of Queensland Motorways. Just NOT to Brisbane City Council!

It might finally reflect the actual costs of maintainence and upkeep of those roads. Its hard to say what the council might do- would they underprice the toll like they currently do with BCC owned City car parks? Or would they use it as an ATM and use the toll revenue to build things (what will they build- more roads to increase the traffic load on that tollway, so they get more revenue?). Will they hold off on public transport improvements around Kingsford Smith to funnel more and more traffic through the tollways?

With higher tolls, more people might think of catching public transport.
Brisbane City Council should focus on spending billions to improve the public transport services not buy and make profits from motorways.

These were the things that I feared. But I'm not surprised since BCC is so focussed on roads. They've taken TransApex too seriously that it's looking like a tug of war with public transport. Adding more roads to the council's collection could tip that balance further.

[#Metro]

I think I am on the money. Guess what just got published in the CM this morning!

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/ring-road-proposed-again-as-a-solution-to-ease-traffic-congestion-in-brisbane/story-e6freoof-1225911277678

TEN years after the State Government rejected calls for a Brisbane ring road, it is proposing an "orbital motorway network'' as a priority project for southeast Queensland.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the project, including a Brisbane western suburbs bypass, would remove tens of thousands of heavy vehicles from local roads and ease city congestion.

The plan includes a mixture of tunnels and roads, including a new north-south motorway from Toowong to Everton Park, with connections to the Bruce Highway and Airport Link.

I am taking this to mean IN ADDITION TO TransApex.

"If we can provide the high-order orbital or 'ring road' system, heavy traffic and trucks can orbit around communities, not barge their way through local roads.''

RACQ spokesman Gary Fites said the proposal rivalled the proposed Redcliffe rail line for projects that had never seen the light of day.

"We've been saying since 1955 that Brisbane needs a western bypass to complete our outer roads system.

Gee Whiz. That 599/598 doesn't look that attractive with 30 minute frequency and no sunday services... it would be cheaper to revamp the 599/598 ... oh no that's too sensible...

What are the chances that these plans also feature in the infamous Wilbur Smith Plan 1965?

[#Metro]

The plan includes a mixture of tunnels and roads, including a new north-south motorway from Toowong to Everton Park, with connections to the Bruce Highway and Airport Link.

*Puff!* There goes the trouts road rail line. Hello Trouts road motorway.
No doubt it will be dressed up as helping speed buses up and a nice bikeway beside it.

[Stillwater]

The date of completion for this 'western' orbital/ring road is 2031 -- the same date as other major works, such as rail track duplication to Nambour and CAMCOS.  And then there is Brisbane's second rail crossing AND the purchase of new train sets.  The obvious question is where is the money (billions and billions) coming from?  Does the adoption of this ring road proposal mean that other, worthwhile, projects already on the books get pushed back further?  Can we expect all of this to be funded from the asset sales the government has under way?  The current figure for sale of the coal rail track is $5.5 billion, or thereabouts, and that's not even enough for the second rail tunnel/Brisbane Metro.  Call me suspicious, but I can see a whole lot of unfunded infrastructure being planned (and planned only) for marginal state electorates -- a bit like the Redcliffe railway.  Then, after the election, we will have a rationalisation of the 'core' and 'non-core' promises.

[ozbob]

A western by pass needs to be further west and a road / rail corridor to allow all freight to bypass the suburbs and go into the freight distribution system via the southern rail corridor.   A rail corridor to the ports via the Gateway corridor would provide access for heavy freight to the ports.  This takes freight out of the suburban systems.

[Golliwog]

The traffic numbers don't stack up for a Western Bypass. There just aren't that many trucks going between Sunshine Coast (and further north) and out past Ipswich.

EDIT: The Western Bypass I'm talking about is the one proposed as a road bypass and further out running around past Samford and the like. The current re-proposed one would take a lot of traffic but if its not making any provision for PT I see no point.