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Category: Urban Development and Planning / Federal - State Issues / Public Sector / Budget / Regional Development / Building and Construction / Regional

Cross River Rail, road upgrades should get green light: infrastructure panel

Monday, 27 Jun 2016 11:38:34 | Nick Wiggins

Brisbane city skyline (Supplied: Brisbane City Council - file photo)

The Queensland Government's expert infrastructure panel has recommended it move ahead with more than $6.5 billion in projects.

Key points:

  • Four projects identified as "ready for investment consideration"
  • Projects are Cross River Rail in Brisbane, new train control system for Brisbane, upgrades to Cunningham Highway and extra lanes for Pacific Motorway
  • Report also identified five projects where a business case should be developed

The State Government set aside $1.5 billion for infrastructure in this month's budget and has been waiting on Building Queensland to tell it what to spend it on.

The Government today released Building Queensland's Infrastructure Pipeline Report, which identified four projects "ready for government investment consideration".

The projects are Cross River Rail in Brisbane, a new train control system for Brisbane's inner-city, upgrades to the Cunningham Highway at Yamanto, west of Brisbane, and extra lanes for the Pacific Motorway between Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast.

Building Queensland's board was set up by Labor to provide the State Government with independent advice on where to target infrastructure funding.

The report identified five projects where a business case should be developed, including a duplication of part of the Sunshine Coast rail line and an upgrade to Queensland Health's IT system.

Some projects already part funded

More than $17.5 million was set aside for the European Train Control System (ETCS) in the budget, with the total cost to be around $630 million.

The State Government has also committed just $50 million to the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail in the budget.

That money would set up a body to advise the Government on how to fund and build it.

The State Government has used the report to call on the Coalition to put money on the table for Cross River Rail.

Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said federal Labor was offering $800 million for Cross River Rail.

"We need the Federal Government to likewise commit to Cross River Rail to get the project done," Mr Bailey said.

However, he did not shed any light on how the Government would fully fund Cross River Rail.

"It's a case of 'watch this space' but let's be very clear - Cross River Rail is the number one priority project for the Palaszczuk Government," he said.

"If we want the efficient movement of people in and around Brisbane where a lot of the jobs are, we need a second rail crossing."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has committed money to the extra lanes for the Pacific Motorway, but Mr Bailey said the 50-50 funding split was unfair.

"The Palaszczuk Government wants to see the Federal Government treat the M1 on the Gold Coast just like it does across the border in new South Wales," Mr Bailey said.

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