Federal Budget 2018: Queensland commuters win big

BILLIONS have been splashed on Queensland road, rail and bus projects, promising to get you home from work quicker and get businesses moving. It’s a sign of how important our state will be come the next federal election, writes Steven Wardill.

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QUEENSLAND commuters certainly seem like the big winner in the Coalition’s pre-election Federal Budget.

The $5.2 billion being invested in Queensland roads, rail and bus projects is significantly more than other states, a telltale sign of how important electorates north of the Tweed will be come the next Federal election.

And there are opportunities to snare even more out of new funding envelopes unveiled last night by Treasurer Scott Morrison.

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These include $1 billion for the new Urban Congestion Fund and a further $3.5 billion for the Roads of Strategic Importance, two honey pots that federal MPs on meagre margins will be eagerly eyeing off.

“Our $75 billion 10-year rolling infrastructure plan will continue strengthening our economy, busting congestion in our cities, making rural roads safer and getting our products to market,” Treasurer Scott Morrison crowed in last night’s speech.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack said the infrastructure spending would help commuters, grow business and better connect Australia’s regions. Picture: Gary Ramage

Federal Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack said the Government was “improving Australians’ lives”.

“This investment will bust congestion in our cities to get commuters home sooner and safer, move freight more efficiently to our ports and markets, better connect our regions, grow our economy and create thousands of new jobs.”

However, just when all this busting, moving, growing and creating will occur in Queensland is anybody’s guess.

Budget papers don’t identify when funding will flow to particular projects or over how many years construction will occur.

Far from a new focus on building, the documents show Federal investment in infrastructure over the next four years comes from funds already committed in previous budgets.

This will just fuel the schism between the Turnbull Government and Queensland’s Labor administration which is in the throes of finalising its own budget.

The pair are already at loggerheads over the Commonwealth’s refusal to commit to some projects and the funding split on others.

No matter who wins the next election, congested sections of the M1 will receive upgrades. Picture: AAP/John Gass

Cross River Rail, touted by Labor as Queensland’s “No. 1 infrastructure priority”, was the project that dare not speak its name in the Federal Budget.

The Turnbull Government hasn’t committed a cent to the $5.4 billion inner-Brisbane heavy rail route after Infrastructure Australia questioned heroic passenger growth forecasts in the project’s business case.

The State says it will fund the lot but was still holding out hope that the Coalition would make a commitment.

One of the most contentious roads has been the M1 between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with the State Government declaring the proposed 50:50 funding split not good enough.

The Palaszczuk Government held up previous federal funding commitments for the M1 and managed to milk a bit more money under the deal that was eventually struck.

However, Queensland Labor will fall into line now that its Federal colleagues says they also will fund the stretch on a 50:50 basis.

That will mean the Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill and Varsity Lakes to Tugun sections of the M1 will be widened, regardless of who wins the next election.

Twin investments in the Bruce Highway — the M1 Pine Rivers to Caloundra stretch and Cooroy to Curra — shouldn’t be an issue given they’re being funded under an 80:20 split.

However, other projects are in limbo.

The Commonwealth will cover half the $780 million cost of duplicating the Sunshine Coast rail line between Beerburrum and Nambour, a projects that was given two thumbs up by Infrastructure Australia.

Money will be splashed to get the Sunshine Coast rail duplication off the ground. Picture: Brett Wortman

However, the Palaszczuk Government may not want to play ball given its argument that increased services through the inner city won’t be possible in future without Cross River Rail.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk’s Brisbane Metro has got a $300 million Federal commitment.

The project basically commandeers the State’s existing busway network while upgrading the Cultural Centre stop, where bus queues are a daily nightmare for commuters.

However, Treasury officials confirmed only $170 million of the Federal funds will flow to Brisbane Metro over the next four years.

Like so many of the Budget’s infrastructure commitments, it’s more akin to putting solutions in the slow lane rather than all the bluster about congestion busting.