Brisbane Metro project pushed back again

The $944 million Brisbane Metro project will be delayed again, lord mayor Adrian Schrinner has announced, after the state government required a planned underground station at the Cultural Centre to be moved.

Slamming the government for creating “Brisbane’s Adani”, Cr Schrinner said the council had met the state government 276 times over 3½ years to get the massive public transport project over the line.

Concept images for the new Metro Cultural Centre station at South Brisbane, part of the council's Brisbane Metro plans.Credit: Brisbane City Council

But Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said there were a "range" of unsolved problems with the project, not just the Cultural Centre Metro station design.

Speaking at a Queensland Media Club lunch on Wednesday, Cr Schrinner said after a meeting on Thursday, the state government informed the council on Friday of the necessary design changes.

"On Friday we were told that we need to redesign the Cultural Centre Metro station and relocate it underneath the building we're in today - the Brisbane Convention Centre," Cr Schrinner said.

"So a major part of the project, a project that has been underway several years in planning, 276 meetings, the 11th hour, has been asked to be redesigned by the state government.

"I am frustrated that this deliberate go-slow is happening to the people of Brisbane.

"To say I'm frustrated is an understatement beyond words. It shouldn't be this hard."

Cr Schrinner said this hurdle “wouldn’t have been a problem” except the contract tenders deadline was on Friday.

As a consequence, he said the council had no choice: the project contracts would have to be put on hold and the design for the original Cultural Centre underground station moved and redone.

We made it clear to council last year that it if it commenced procurement before the scope of the project was finalised, it would do so at its own risk.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey

However, Mr Bailey said the state government wasn't to blame for the change.

"We support Metro in principle, as demonstrated in our Connecting Brisbane strategy and we’re committed to our collaboration with Brisbane City Council to make it work and integrate it with existing public transport," he said.

"However, we made it clear to council last year that it if it commenced procurement before the scope of the project was finalised, it would do so at its own risk."

Cr Schrinner said the state government gave no reason for the unexpected change, and he couldn't put a figure on potential cost blowouts or the timeline for the delays.

However, the lord mayor admitted that any such major project with delays could expect to cost more.

Cr Schrinner said once the project was redesigned and approved, his message to the state government was simple: “Get out of the way and let us get on with it."

But the three companies who submitted tenders before the Friday deadline were not told of the sudden change until Cr Schrinner announced it to the lunch on Wednesday, leaving them "in absolute shock" after a quick text message from Queensland Major Contractors Association chief executive Jon Davies, who was at the lunch.

Mr Davies said the three contractors who had put in for the Brisbane Metro Cultural Centre project would have spent about $6 million each on their bid, $3 million of which would be contributed by the council.

"The bidders have only just found out about this because I texted them at this lunch," he said.

"They're in a state of absolute shock, that they submitted their bids on Friday, they're due to make presentations to Brisbane City Council this week and they've all invested significant amounts of money in this tendering process of which they get a small proportion back."

Asked why the companies were not told beforehand, Cr Schrinner said the council had its own processes for informing companies and tenderers were being notified on Wednesday.

Cr Schrinner did not say why the council had gone to tender in the first place when the state government had not issued any approvals at all for Brisbane Metro.

But he said other major projects such as the Legacy Motorway had not had such issues.

Mr Davies said the companies had all assembled "fairly substantial" teams for the bids and would now be forced to keep those teams together for a longer and uncertain timeframe at higher expense.

He said the sudden change was extremely unusual for such a major project.

"I can't recall in 20 years this ever happening in my experience," Mr Davies said.

Mr Davies declined to comment on the appropriateness of the contractors finding out about the potential delays to their bids through a media announcement.

RACQ chief communications officer Paul Turner said Brisbane city would "shut down" if transport infrastructure wasn't addressed in the next 10 years.

"These projects are vital and it's extremely frustrating for organisations like the RACQ, I think it's extremely frustrating for the people of south-east Queensland that once again we have fights between levels of government over funding and over approvals,'' Mr Turner said.

Mr Bailey said said the state government and the council would continue to work together.

"There are a range of other unresolved issues including design; which large bus will be selected, its specifications and performance on the busway; scale of construction impacts and managing disruptions to commuters; and who will bear the cost for the operation of the system," he said.

"We need to do further work together to make sure this project is done right – we will not be rushed to suit the Mayor’s election timetable."