Infrastructure Australia : What is it's purpose? : Response to Fares_Fair

[Fares_Fair]

Attention All,

Please post all replies on my detailed analysis and report under here.
A link to the original report is displayed below.
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5705.0

Thank you,

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Stillwater]

You might as well point out that definite plans are in place for another 50,000 people in the corridor -- right beside the railway line.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/property/state-vision-for-sunshine-coast-released-20110331-1chgg.html

One of the other things to square away, FF, is that the State Government will be pushing IA for additional money for the Cooroy-Curra upgrade of the Bruce Highway (about a billion) at the same time as others will be requesting funding for Beerburrum-Landsborough-Nambour rail upgrade, so IA would have to evaluate competing road and rail funding requests, or fund both if it is in a generous mood.

The state government would back federal funding of Cooroy-Curra for no other reason than that project would attract a higher federal subsidy (of the order of 90 per cent), as opposed to the rail upgrade to Nambour for which the feds would seek probably a 60-40 split, with the commonwealth paying 60%.  It may even ask 50-50.

[Fares_Fair]

Hello SW,

Thank you. It does get a mention under Point 12.

Point 12.
The Sunshine Coast Regional Council Interim Roadmap 2010 (2010)
http://www.rdasunshinecoast.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Sunshine-Coast-Interim-Regional-Roadmap-Final-20101125-v3_online1.pdf

Section 2.12 Transport; goes on to state;
"However, even these would not adequately meet the projected demand under each population scenario and more would be required to meet the needs of a substantial population increase."
(e.g. Caloundra South and Palmview developments – approx. 50,000 more Sunshine Coast residents).

Furthermore ...
I have received (last night) a letter back from the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Leader of the House. On 22 February, 2011 they released a draft National Freight Strategy.
Submissions for this will close at the end of April. It can be found here :
http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/national_freight/files/NLFS_220211.pdf

In the letter he states; "the Government has made a tenfold increase in the annual expenditure on rail, with $9 billion being invested over six years (2008-09 to 2013-14) to improve and expand the nation's passenger and rail freight infrastructure. This investment includes more than $3.4 billion, over six years, for the interstate freight network to encourage more freight on trains by making rail a more attractive freight option over road transport."

My Federal MP may wish to recommend to me, that I provide feed-back on the direction, ideas and measures it is proposing. Submissions close end of April 2011.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Stillwater]

As is its charter under the Constitution, the Commonwealth invests in major infrastructure that promotes interstate trade and commerce.  The operative word is INTERSTATE.  The Brisbane-Cairns corridor is an INTRASTATE corridor, so the federal government would place greater expectation on the state government to contribute to the upkeep of the railway line in Queensland, exactly the same expectation as it would have on the Victorian Government to maintain and improve the line between Melbourne and Morwell.  That being said, the Brisbane-Cairns corridor is part of the national network of roads and railway that the federal government believes it should support financially -- the point is, not 100 per cent of the cost.  Queensland would be reluctant to put forward any rail upgrade proposal to the Commonwealth or IA, because it would be required to contribute something towards the cost -- maybe as little as 20 per cent.  But it is not prepared to part with even that proportion to win 80 per cent of the cost from the feds.  Its No.1 priority is regaining a AAA credit rating.  Besides, whatever funds for rail it gets from Canberra, it would want to go to CRR.

[#Metro]

We have to find another source of funding. I am suggesting the introduction of decongestion charges to be looked at as replace licensing fees/rego/petrol tax etc
and also being a potential source for improvements.

Without it, we will be stuck with service improvements, which are welcome and needed badly, but long term you need concrete in specific places.
Health alone will eat up huge numbers of $$$

The Sunshine Coast needs concrete as the service is already running at maximum on current infrastructure.

[Stillwater]

The numerous documents that FF quotes contain official advice to government from reputable sources and agencies (with the exception of Dr Phillip Laird's paper, not to discredit him, but just to acknowledge that he and Wollongong University are not part of the machinery of government).  Time and again, and from various perspectives, the Queensland Government is being told the same thing about the SCL.  What's puzzling is why does the government stubbornly ignore the advice to act, even when it is argued successfully that improvements to the SCL will improve the state's economic performance through the efficient movement of freight from Queensland to Brisbane for freight consolidation and transhipment to southern markets, or overseas via the Port of Brisbane.  That's why many people believe there must be a political imperative over-riding common sense -- especially since the government has repudiated definite promises by the current Deputy Premier to upgrade the line.

[Fares_Fair]

As is its charter under the Constitution, the Commonwealth invests in major infrastructure that promotes interstate trade and commerce.  The operative word is INTERSTATE.  The Brisbane-Cairns corridor is an INTRASTATE corridor, so the federal government would place greater expectation on the state government to contribute to the upkeep of the railway line in Queensland, exactly the same expectation as it would have on the Victorian Government to maintain and improve the line between Melbourne and Morwell.  That being said, the Brisbane-Cairns corridor is part of the national network of roads and railway that the federal government believes it should support financially -- the point is, not 100 per cent of the cost.  Queensland would be reluctant to put forward any rail upgrade proposal to the Commonwealth or IA, because it would be required to contribute something towards the cost -- maybe as little as 20 per cent.  But it is not prepared to part with even that proportion to win 80 per cent of the cost from the feds.  Its No.1 priority is regaining a AAA credit rating.  Besides, whatever funds for rail it gets from Canberra, it would want to go to CRR.

I do see your point about the (in this case) very important semantics of INTER vs. INTRA.
I had approached it on the basis that it is what is, in national terms, part of the east coast, north-south corridor ...

However, it states that of the $9 billion provided, $3.4 billion is for the interstate network.
I could well assume that the remainder is appropriate perhaps for an intrastate corridor.

and for the record, Dr Philiip Laird has carried out work on behalf of the Qld. state government in the past which is why his paper was included. The points he raised being just as valid now as they were back in 2006.
Always good to have various sources of information.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[somebody]

What's puzzling is why does the government stubbornly ignore the advice to act, even when it is argued successfully that improvements to the SCL will improve the state's economic performance through the efficient movement of freight from Queensland to Brisbane for freight consolidation and transhipment to southern markets, or overseas via the Port of Brisbane.  That's why many people believe there must be a political imperative over-riding common sense -- especially since the government has repudiated definite promises by the current Deputy Premier to upgrade the line.

Probably it's popular in QLD to have mediocre public transport.  People I have spoken to are quite thick on this point, frankly.  Maybe it is like they say: Welcome to QLD, wind your clock back 25 years.