Shannon Fentiman attacks Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg, denies rail blowout

Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg was labelled a “boofhead” by Labor for his claims that Cross River Rail’s total project cost would be $17bn, three times the original estimate.

Queensland Minister for Main Roads and Transport Brent Mickelberg during question time in parliament. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

• Wild history of CRR

Labor has doubled down in its denial that the city’s Cross River Rail project is $10.5 billion over budget.

Transport Minister Brent Mickelburg was yesterday labelled a “boofhead” by Labor for his claims that the total project cost would be $17bn, three times the original estimate.

He insisted it was standard practice to include maintenance on such projects, prompting Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman to call Mr Mickelburg a “boofhead’’.

She said Mr Mickelberg included upgrades to train stations on the Gold Coast, new buses for South East Queensland and train signalling into the total cost of the project.

“It is ridiculous … no one does accounting the way (Premier) David Crisafulli is doing accounting for the cost of these projects,” she said.

“Queensland Treasury sure as hell doesn’t.

“I wonder if the builder who’s doing the renovation on David Crisafulli’s Bulimba home was also charging him for 40 years of maintenance?”

Opposition Treasurer Shannon Fentiman slammed the state government. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Mr Mickelberg refused to release the maintenance component, saying he had received legal advice.

“What it costs to design, what it costs to build, what it costs to maintain - they are all essential elements,’’ he said.

“I’m not going to split it (maintenance costs) out into individual elements because, in doing so, it will enable contractors to be able to work back and work out a number (they can charge for work).’’

He stuck to claims CRR would not be operational until 2029, saying there were already delays in building the first of 75 trains.

No electrical works, including fire and signalling systems, had begun.

Mr Mickelberg committed to delivering the project, well before the 2032 Olympics, and said he would no longer be the minister if he failed to do so.

Southsiders and Gold Coast residents face another three years of long commutes if Cross River Rail’s opening is pushed back to 2029,

The Cross River Rail worksite at Woolloongabba. Photo Steve Pohlner

Transport experts said CRR promised to slash commutes from the southside and the coast by 8-10 minutes and warned any more construction delays at the Legacy Way portal could affect work on an Olympics stadium at Victoria Park.

University of Queensland professor of transport engineering, Mark Hickman, said if construction was delayed that would affect choke points in the road network including at the Inner City Bypass.

If an Olympics precinct were built at Victoria Park, construction delays would add to delays from CRR works.

Griffith University’s Cities Research Institute deputy director, Professor Matt Burke, said CRR would save 8-10 minutes travel time for people coming into the CBD from suburbs such as Algester and also from the Gold Coast.

“Tertiary students, who make up one in six train travellers, will also benefit going to the University of Queensland or to QUT,’’ he said.

He said pushing back the CRR opening would also delay improvements to the Beenleigh and Cleveland lines.