State government data reveals new cost blowouts totalling more than $1.2bn

New cost blowouts totalling more than $1.2bn have been identified across road and rail projects in just six months, state government data has revealed.

New cost blowouts totalling more than $1.2bn have been identified across road and rail projects in just six months, state government data has revealed.

Transport Minister Bart Mellish, reaffirming a commitment to increased transparency, is set to reveal the latest itemised list of cost blowouts across transport projects six months after his December update.

It can be revealed 20 road and rail projects have suffered cost blowouts worth a combined $1.28bn — 11 of those new while the price tag of nine projects have ballooned again since the December update.

The largest blowout was to the Coomera Connector, as outlined in March, of $863.3m. The federal government has come to the table to cover 50 per cent of the price increase, in a major relief for the state.

Work on the Coomera Connector.

The Bowen Bridge Rd duplication project in Townsville has jumped nearly $30m from $70m to $99.8m, while the Archer River Crossing bridge in Far North Queensland has spiked $76m to a total of $131m.

In total the newly identified cost blowouts, including the Coomera Connector price rise, will result in a $690m whack to the state’s coffers.

Another nine projects, flagged in December for cost blowouts, have again increased in price. In the last six months those projects rose a total of $163m.

This includes another $30.4m for the Bruce Highway Cooroy to Curra project for a new total cost of $162m, and $60m for the Walkerston Bypass in Mackay which means the project has increased to $251.7m from an original budget of $187.4m.

Meanwhile, the state government has also confirmed it will spend an extra $500m to expand a new train signalling system — though it confirmed the technology won’t go as far south on the line as initially envisioned.

Mr Mellish also steadfastly denied the expansion of the European Train Control System out to Moorooka would cause delays opening Cross River Rail.

Queensland’s total spend on the ETCS will now stand at $1.32bn over the next four years.

The $500m expansion will extend the ETCS to Moorooka and put in place critical cybersecurity defences on the system.

But the state government had initially intended to take the ETCS as far out as Salisbury, with former Transport Minister Mark Bailey stating in 2022 this would “derive the greatest benefit from this investment to the broader network”.

It’s understood the expansion out to Salisbury was not funded under earlier packages to install the system, and investigations since that time have led to the government picking Moorooka as the “preferred location”.

Project cost blowouts: Total cost (and price rise since December 2023 update)

Coomera Connector (Stage 1), Coomera to Nerang: $3.02bn (+$863.3m)

Bruce Highway (Cooroy to Curra) Section D, construction: $162m (+$30.4m)

Pacific Motorway, Exit 49, upgrade interchange: $140.8m (+$30m)

Walkerston Bypass: $251.7m (+$64.3m)

Loganlea Road Upgrade: $79.4m (+$23.4m)

Buranda train station, Arne Street (Woolloongabba), upgrade station: $70.1m (+$33.4m)

Mayne Yard Accessibility, upgrade vehicle and pedestrian access: $173.4m (+$20.7m)

Banyo train station, St Vincents Road, upgrade station: $65.7m (+$11.4m)

Linkfield Road Overpass upgrade: $176m (+$19m)

Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive), Bowen Road Bridge (Idalia), duplicate bridge and approaches: $99.8m (+$29.8)