27 Qld road promises the Federal Goverment made pr...

QUEENSLAND'S Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey has slammed the post-budget federal road and transport funding allocation for the Sunshine State. 

"Last night's Federal budget could have delivered a fair share for Queensland but instead we got a shameless, last minute vote-buying sales pitch, with an election only a month away," he said. 

Mr Bailey was furious that Queensland was allocated "just over half" of what New South Wales was promised ($4 billion for Queensland against $7.3 billion for NSW) and that "we won't see most of that new funding for at least four years". 

"Scott Morrison referenced AC/DC's 'Back in Black' spruiking his government's budget yesterday," he said. 

"A 'Highway to Hell' is more what he had in mind for Queensland.

"Scott Morrison loves fast rail thought bubbles but there's nothing in the budget for practical rail projects that Queenslanders need now.

"Zero for Cross River Rail, $250 million short for the Sunshine Coast Rail duplication, the lowest offer of only 16% for the next stage of Gold Coast light rail and the majority of that is more than four years away.

"Funding for the Bruce Highway's Cairns Southern Access Stage 5 project is a mirage and won't be ready for at least four years either.

"They've cut the heart out of the Cape York Region Package too, giving it a new name to cover up the cut, gutting it for the next three years and cutting funding and training that will cost Indigenous jobs on Cape York.

"The majority of Rocky Ring Road funding - $720 million - won't be available until 2023-24 and all of Mackay Ring Road Stage Two funding is more than four years off in the future, two elections away."

WHAT THE QTA SAID

Queensland Trucking Association chief executive officer Gary Mahon welcomed the extra support for the M1, Gateway and Bruce Highway, but said "in comparrison to the other eastern states on infrastructure the imbalance continues". 

"Trucking is forecast to grow by 26 per cent over the next seven years," he said. 

"The major strength of road over other methods of transport is timeliness, flexibility and adaptiveness. 

"Australia has the fifth largest freight task in the world and Queensland accounts for about 20% of the task. 

"Along with other road users we expect a fairer share in particular for the bridge network.  Safer roads bring safety, efficiency and economic energy. 

"We need better regional road networks across all our provincial and regional communities."

WHAT PROJECTS ARE TOP PRIORITY

Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade

WHERE: South East Queensland WHAT: The duplication of the North Coast Line between Beerburrum and Landsborough, and a range of upgrades to the existing rail infrastructure between Landsborough and Nambour.

Bowen Basin Service Link-Walkerston Bypass

WHERE: Mackay WHAT: Construction of a corridor between the southern end of the Mackay Ring Road and the Peak Downs Highway, bypassing the town of Walkerston.

Bribie Island Road Upgrade

WHERE: South East Queensland WHAT: Upgrade Bribie Island Road to enhance traffic flow and upgrades to key intersections.

Brisbane Metro

WHERE: Brisbane WHAT: A high-frequency metro network across 21 kilometres of existing busway that links Eight Mile Plains, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and the University of Queensland Lakes to the Brisbane CBD.

Bruce Highway

WHERE: Brisbane to Cairns WHAT: A range of projects and programs of work on the Bruce Highway to provide a safer, more reliable and efficient Highway.

Cairns Ring Road

WHERE: Cairns WHAT: Construct road upgrades between the corner of Comport and Draper Streets in Cairns CBD to the intersection of the Captain Cook and Kennedy highways, and Mount Milman Drive in Smithfield

Cape York Region Package

WHERE: Cape York WHAT: A package of road and community infrastructure projects, including upgrades on the Peninsula Developmental Road.

Capricorn Highway (Rockhampton to Emerald)-Overtaking Lanes

WHERE: Rockhampton WHAT: Construction of six overtaking lanes on the Capricorn Highway between Rockhampton and Emerald (three eastbound and three westbound).

Cunningham Highway Upgrade

WHERE: Darling Downs South West WHAT: A package of upgrades along the Cunningham Highway including: Eight Mile Interchange, Cunningham Highway Safety Package, Planning (including Amberley Interchange); and Future Projects.

Gateway Motorway-Bracken Ridge to Pine River

WHERE: Brisbane WHAT: Upgrade the Gateway Motorway from Bracken Ridge to the interchange with the Bruce Highway and the Gympie Arterial Road.

Gladstone Port Access Road Extension

WHERE: Gladstone WHAT: Extend the Gladstone Port Access Road to improve access to the Port for heavy vehicles and improve safety for all road users.

Gold Coast Light Rail-Stage 3a

WHERE: Gold Coast WHAT: Extension of the existing light rail for 6.4km from Broadbeach South Station to Burleigh Heads.

Ipswich Motorway-Rocklea to Darra

WHERE: South East Queensland WHAT: Upgrade approximately three kilometre section of the Motorway to three lanes between Oxley Road to Suscatand Street in both directions.

Lindum Rail Crossing Study

WHERE: Brisbane WHAT: Undertake detailed design works on the Lindum Rail Crossing Replacement Project at Kianawah Road in Wynnum West.

M1 Pacific Motorway Upgrade Program

WHERE: South East Queensland WHAT: A package of upgrades along the M1 Pacific Motorway between Eight Mile Plains and Tugun comprising: Pacific Motorway/Gateway Motorway Merge (M1/M3), Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill, Daisy Hill to Logan Motorway, Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes, Varsity Lakes to Tugun

Major Project Business Case Fund-Queensland

WHERE: South East Queensland WHAT: Toowoomba to Brisbane Passenger Rail Business Case: Inland Rail Intermodal Terminal Business Case Brisbane, Brisbane to Gold Coast Fast Rail Business Case, Second M1 (Coomera Connector), Centenary Motorway Upgrade, North Brisbane Bruce Highway Western Alternative, Caloundra Road Network Planning Study, Brisbane North-West Transport Corridor

Mt Lindesay Highway Upgrade

WHERE: South East Queensland WHAT: The project will upgrade the Mt Lindesay Highway in North Mclean.

Northern Australia Roads Program-Queensland

WHERE: North Queensland WHAT: Barkly Highway (Cloncurry-Mount Isa) Intersection Upgrades in the Mount Isa Urban Area, Capricorn Highway (Rockhampton-Duaringa) Rockhampton to Gracemere Duplication, Flinders Highway (Charters Towers-Richmond): Culvert upgrades (Package 1), Flinders Highway (Townsville-Torrens Creek) Pavement Strengthening and Rehabilitation (Package 1), Kennedy Developmental Road (Mount Garnet-The Lynd) Pavement Widening, Kennedy Developmental Road (The Lynd-Hughenden) Progressive Sealing, Bowen Developmental Road-Staged Development, Landsborough Highway (Longreach-Winton)-Pavement Widening and Strengthening (Package 1), Peak Downs Highway (Clermont-Nebo) Logan Creek to Nine Mile Creek-Pavement Widening and Strengthening (Package 1), Rockhampton (Bajool-Port Alma Road) Pavement Widening Port Access Road

Northern Australia Beef Roads Program-Queensland

WHERE: North Queensland WHAT: Rockhampton Road Network-Road Train Access: Richmond-Croydon Road-Progressive Sealing-Package One, Richmond-Winton Road-Progressive Sealing-Package One, Richmond-Winton Road-Progressive Sealing-Package Two, Richmond-Croydon Road-Progressive Sealing-Package Two, Clermont-Alpha Road-Progressive Sealing-Package One, Clermont-Alpha Road-Progressive Sealing-Package Two, Clermont-Alpha Road-Progressive Sealing-Package Three, Ootann Road-Almaden to Kennedy Hwy-Gunnawarra-Progressive Sealing-Package One, Ootann Road-Almaden to Kennedy Hwy-Gunnawarra-Progressive Sealing-Package Two, Burke Developmental Road-Chillagoe to Almaden-Progressive Sealing-Package One, Burke Developmental Road-Chillagoe to Almaden-Progressive Sealing-Package Two, Gregory Developmental Road-South of Charter Towers-Widening, Diamantina Developmental Road (Boulia-Dajarra) Rehabilitation and Widening, Cloncurry to Dajarra Road: Progressive Sealing

Northern Peninsula Road-Jardine River Crossing Upgrade

WHERE: Cape York WHAT: The project includes development of a Business Case to consider preferred crossing options.

Outback Way

WHERE: Western Queensland WHAT: The package will upgrade sections of the roads that form the '"Outback Way", including the Donohue Highway, Kennedy Developmental Road and the Diamantina Developmental Road.

Peak Downs Highway Safety Works

WHERE: Eton Range WHAT: Upgrade of the crossing of Eton Range to address safety and operational deficiencies.

Philip Street-Gladstone

WHERE: Gladstone WHAT: Widening a 700 metre stretch of Philip Street adjacent to a proposed community precinct site.

Roads of Strategic Importance-Queensland

WHERE: Regional Queensland WHAT: Tennant Creek to Townsville Corridor, Mount Isa to Rockhampton Corridor (including Yeppoon Road Duplication), Townsville to Roma Corridor, Cooktown to Weipa Corridor, Cairns to Northern Territory Border Corridor, Toowoomba to Ipswich Corridor, Toowoomba to Seymour Corridor, Shute Harbour Road, Quay Street Upgrade, Bundaberg, Torbanlea Pialba Road Upgrade, Bargara Road Upgrade, Bundaberg, Urraween/Boundary Road Extension, Hervey Bay, Isis Overtaking Lanes

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing

WHERE: Toowoomba WHAT: Construction of a bypass to the north of Toowoomba, running from the Warrego Highway at Helidon in the east, to the Gore Highway at Athol in the west.

Urban Congestion Fund-Queensland

WHERE: South East Queensland WHAT: Newnham Road-Wecker Road Intersection Upgrade, Mount Gravatt, Chelsea Road-Rickertt Road Intersection Upgrade, Ransome, Panorama Drive-Wellington St, Thornlands/Cleveland, Youngs Crossing, Lawnton, Gympie Arterial Road, M1 Intersection Upgrades, Beaudesert Road/Mt Lindesay Highway Corridor