Transport Minister Bart Mellish has responded to the Opposition’s claim Bruce Highway Trust Advisory Council was abandoned, saying LNP “must be living under a rock” if it didn’t understand the council’s vital purpose.
He said the council last met in September 2022 after finishing up the work it was set up to do, which included overseeing the development of a 15-year strategy.
“The Bruce Highway Trust Advisory Council was established in 2017 as a way to take politics off the Bruce and deliver the best outcomes for Queenslanders. We appointed an LNP selected deputy in good faith,” Mr Mellish said.
“The committee members endorsed the final drafts of the 15-year Vision and Action Plans for the Bruce Highway and the Safer Bruce 2030 Action Plan in September 2022.
“In May 2023, the Federal Government announced the federal infrastructure review which impacted funding for all Queensland projects, including the Bruce Highway.
“In November 2023, the Federal Government changed the historical funding arrangements from 80:20 to 50:50.
“The Miles Government is now considering these changes and how they impact the Action Plan developed by the Bruce Highway Trust before public release shortly.”
Qld Parliament live blog: Premier’s bold plan to get key players on Brisbane Games delivery body
The Opposition has taken aim at the "disastrous state" of the Bruce Highway, homing in on the Transport Minister and the federal Labor government’s 2017 commitment to establish a Trust Advisory Council.
Steven Miles has set an ambitious target to appoint key players to the independent Olympics delivery body in the coming weeks, as the government moves to ease the political burden of Games decision-making.
SEE HOW OUR LIVE BLOG PLAYED OUT BELOW
Updates
'Living under a rock': Transport Minister bites back at LNP
Opposition accused of 'turning their backs' on First Nations people
A fiery exchange erupted after John-Paul Langbroek MP asked Treaty Minister Leeanne Enoch whether tax exemptions would be part of the government's path to treaty process.
Ms Enoch blasted the LNP for "turning their backs" on First Nations Queenslanders, accusing the party of backflipping on their support for the path to treaty.
"Any question from them about the treaty is about undermining treaty," she said, adding that the truth telling inquiry and reconciliation action plan would form how the treaty process is rolled out by government.
– Taylah Fellows
'Shared those concerns': Environmental mining fears
Member for Gregory Lachlan Miller has brought up the controversial Glencore carbon capture program, asking the Premier if he will rule out approving the plan.
Plans to capture 110,000 tonnes of carbon and inject it below the Great Artesian Basin received significant backlash with environmental groups and farmers claiming it would contaminate water supply.
The Premier revealed he had recently met with agricultural and conservation lobby groups to discuss project concerns and while he said he "shared those concerns," the government will wait on the results of the environmental impact assessment.
"Like any project it should undergo a rigorous environmental assessment," he said.
"A right that was removed from them by the LNP."
– Taylah Fellows
How much will pumped hydro cost?
The controversial Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project west of Mackay will cost an estimated $12bn and when that changes the state will be made aware Treasurer Cameron Dick has said.
It came after Opposition treasury spokesman David Janetzki asked how much the project would cost.
Premier Steven Miles has already previously signalled the cost of the project, as all other infrastructure projects, would likely cost more than expected.
Mr Dick pointed to budget papers from June 2023 which show the estimate of the project is $12bn.
“If that changes we will let you know,” he said.
'It is real': One Nation concerned with koalas communication
Energy Minister Mick de Brenni has provided an assurance koala populations near wind farms will not be impacted following a passionate query from One Nation MP Stephen Andrew.
The crossbench member labelled the renewable energy source as “wind factories, not farms”, and asked if sufficient studies had been done to ensure the comfort of koalas.
While repeatedly interrupting the Minister, Mr Andrew yelled this “is real”, relating to the animals being impacted by the low frequency noises which reduces koalas “actually being able to communicate with each other”.
Mr de Brenni said Queenslanders can have “absolute confidence” that energy projects, such as wind farms, have considered local environments.
Opposition claims road project blowouts impacting new safety upgrades
Transport Minister Bart Mellish has extolled the upgrades on the Bruce Highway as he veered past the Opposition’s question linking cost blowouts to a lack of funding for more improvements.
Opposition resources spokesman Dale Last, whose electorate includes a chunk of the Bruce Highway leading north to Townsville, asked the government if the eye-watering cost blowouts to transport projects meant there wasn’t enough money for other road upgrades.
Unlike the Bruce Highway, Mr Mellish’s answer doesn’t really lead anywhere. The parliament moves on.
'Disastrous state': Transport Minister quizzed on Bruce Highway
Transport Minister Bart Mellish declared the government has projects underway to improve the Bruce Highway from the “top to the bottom of our state” after being asked if Labor takes responsibility for the “disastrous state” of the major road.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli’s question cited the Labor government’s 2017 election commitment to establish a Bruce Highway Trust Advisory Council, which he said was abandoned after six meetings*
(*The BHTAC held its last meeting on September 2022 after finishing up the work it was set up to do)
Mr Mellish brushed the question aside, and instead listed a number of projects the government is funding on the Bruce Highway.
The comments come as The Courier-Mail launched a campaign to raise awareness for the critical highway.
You can read about ‘Help Our Highway’ here.
Only 'small' number of parents uncomfortable with asbestos problem Minister says
A “small” number of parents at asbestos plagued Rochedale State School are uncomfortable with their children learning in the impacted spaces according to Education Minister Di Farmer.
It comes after Opposition youth justice spokeswoman Laura Gerber questioned if all teachers at the Logan-based school were aware of the issues surrounding asbestos at the school amid reports some were using a broom to dust ceilings.
Ms Farmer said the school had been visited by numerous experts since the issue was first identified on March 8 and the area immediately cordoned off.
Ms Farmer said the principal and deputy principal had spoken to teachers in the impacted block, who were comfortable with the mitigation efforts.
She said principals had also spoken to parents and only a “small” number were not comfortable with their children learning in those spaces, and thus they were being accommodated in other classrooms while “other arrangements” are considered.
Premier further grilled on asbestos drama
Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie has continued grilling the Premier over the government's ability to manage asbestos, stating the government register shows asbestos was first found in the ceiling at Rochedale State School blocks D and E a decade ago, and again in 2017.
He asked Mr Miles why the government has allowed the asbestos to remain in the ceilings for more than 10 years.
Mr Miles said 196 schools including 256 buildings have undergone removal works as part of the government asbestos management plan, with $47 million allocated to the education department to undergo asbestos auditing and removal across the state.
"Clearly, many of our schools were built during the period of time with asbestos containing materials … and it will take time for us to deliver on this program," he said.
– Taylah Fellows
Premier quizzed over delay to notify parents of asbestos
Doubling down on the asbestos scandal at Rochedale State School, Dr Christian Rowan has asked the Premier why parents were not informed of the outbreak within the mandatory 24-hour notice period.
Dr Rowan said concerned parents had told the LNP they were only notified of the asbestos-affected ceiling tiles in classrooms on March 12, despite the school discovering the problem on March 8.
Mr Miles said he had been advised parents were notified "quickly" but conceded he did not know of exact timeframes.
"I will ask the education Minister to investigate," he said.
– Taylah Fellows
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