Federal Budget 2019: Queensland reaps infrastructure boon

Queenslanders will reap the benefits of billions of dollars in new infrastructure, as the Federal Government turns up the heat in the battleground state ahead of next month’s federal election.

QUEENSLANDERS will reap the benefits of billions of dollars in new infrastructure, as the Federal Government turns up the heat in the battleground state ahead of next month’s federal election.

The Government will splash $4 billion on new infrastructure in the Sunshine State, including a big spend on major road upgrades and congestion busting projects.

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Although only $1 billion of this money will be spent over the forward estimates, the government will spend billions of dollars more over this period on existing projects.

Among the new spends is $800 million on the Gateway Motorway extension from Bracken Ridge to Pine River, $425.4 million for Bruce Highway upgrades and $287.2 million for the Cairns Ring Road.

Other pre-election sweetners include $320 million for Warrego Highway upgrades between Ipswich and Toowoomba as well as $378.8 million to bust urban congestion with a series of key road upgrades.

The notorious Pacific Motorway south of Brisbane

The Federal Government has also, once again, refused to fund the Queensland Government’s pet project, the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail.

This is despite federal Labor committing $2.2 billion towards the 10.2km railway, including $800 million in capital funding.

The Coalition Government has repeatedly said it would not commit funding towards the project, pointing out that the State had previously said they could fund it on their own.

Queensland is also likely to benefit from a half a billion dollar commuter car park fund, that will improve access to major public transport hubs and take tens of thousands cars off the road.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the plan would complement their vision of fast rail in Australia, which would include rail lines between Brisbane to the Sunshine and Gold Coasts.

The government will fork out $40 million devising case studies for fast rail lines across the country.

Cattle lie dead as floodwaters recede on a property 30km west of Julia Creek.

FLOODING AND DROUGHT

A torrent of flood assistance will flow into Queensland to help the state’s north recover from a devastating and costly summer of disasters.

The Federal Government will also establish a new $3.9 billion national Emergency Response Fund to ensure recovery relief is available when future natural disasters hit our state.

The Treasurer unveiled the fund in his speech to Parliament, which will allow up to $150 million to be available every year following a “significant and catastrophic” disaster.

The move will be welcomed news in Queensland, after floods once again ripped through the state – in Townsville and throughout the northwest – leaving behind a mammoth recovery and clean-up bill of $1.5 billion.

The fund will be an additional measure to existing Federal and State Government natural disaster response programs.

“Communities are feeling the impacts of flood, fire and drought,” Mr Frydenberg declared in his speech.

“Over the past year drought and flood have taken a heavy toll on our agricultural towns and communities.

“These communities have shown strength and resilience, as all Australians have stood with them.”

The Federal Government will also spend $3.1 billion over the next five years supporting flood affected communities and the livestock industry in the state’s north.

The bulk of this will be through $1.75 billion in loans as well as $300 million in grants to help farmers and primary producers rebuild their businesses.

Immediate relief money of $232 million will also flow from treasury coffers before the end of the 2018-19 financial year.

Another $4 million will go to eligible north Queensland schools to ensure they remain viable for the future, while one-off grants of $1,000 per student will be available to isolated families.

Those affected by the crippling drought gripping the country will benefit from a $6.3 billion spend, which Mr Frydenberg singled out in his Budget speech.

The Treasurer said the agriculture industry needed to be “recognised and valued”.

“Our economic plan is about driving all industries forward, not just the new ones,” he said.

GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

Queensland’s share of the GST will be slashed by hundreds of millions of dollars, while our southern neighbours enjoy a significant boost to their funding share.

The Sunshine State will take in $14.213 billion in payments from the GST in the 2019/20 financial year – down more than $220 million from the previous year.

It means Queensland will be the only state or territory to take home less money.

Budget papers show New South Wales will take home an extra $761 million, while Victoria will get an additional $456 million.

The move will likely put a strain on Queensland Treasurer Jackie Trad’s Budget, which she will hand down in June.

Townsville Hospital is set for an upgrade.

HEALTH

Townsville Hospital will be the first regional health facility to be upgraded by the Federal Government under a new scheme announced in the Budget.

The Government unveiled plans to spend more than $100 million over seven years improving health infrastructure and services.

The “Supporting Our Hospitals” initiative also included plans to spend $16 million on Redlands Hospitals to improve patient access, $5 million on medical imaging at Bowen Hospital and $2.9 million to expand Ronald McDonald House in South Brisbane.

Other health investments in Queensland under the scheme include $60 million to help James Cook University Tropical Enterprise Centre and $24 million to improve outcomes for Queenslanders living with brain and spinal cord injuries.

In total, Queensland is expected to receive more than $80 million under the Community Health and Hospital Program which is on top of $4.9 billion towards the state’s public hospitals in 2019-20.