It comes after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today announced Pulse consortia will deliver the tunneland four new underground stations, while Unity will deliver the design, supply and installation of the supporting rail system.
Tunnelling could start as early as next year.
SEE HOW OUR LIVE BLOG OF QUESTION TIME UNFOLDED BELOW
Following this morning’s announcement of who will build Cross River Rail, the Premier has taken another swipe at the Federal Government.
“I can tell you that trains will be running in 2024 – before most of the Queensland projects announced by the Federal Government in this week’s budget will even start,” she said during Question Time in Queensland Parliament.
“Despite the Federal Government not investing one cent in this vital project in this week’s budget – my government is getting on with delivering it.”
Broken down, the Cross River Rail project will:
– Unlock the Merivale St bottleneck
– Have more trains travelling more often
– Ease congestion
– Improve connectivity with buses
– Allow an extra 18,000 seats into Brisbane during the morning peak across all lines
– Take 47,000 cars off the road every day
It will also save commuters travelling to the CBD:
– 15 minutes on the Gold Coast line
– 15 minutes on the Beenleigh line
– 8 minutes on the Caboolture line
– 8 minutes on the Redcliffe Peninsula line
– 14 minutes on the Cleveland line
Updates
Traeger MP Robbie Katter has made good on his pledge to write to the Office of Public Prosecutions after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk cut staff from the Katter party.
Mr Katter wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions yesterday, requesting the office review evidence to establish whether the Premier’s actions warranted prosecution.
Ms Palaszczuk pulled funding for four extra staff, that were allocated to the party’s Queensland MPs, after the trio refused to denounce former KAP Senator Fraser Anning’s “final solution” immigration speech.
The Premier has insisted she did nothing wrong.
“I respectfully request that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions review the relevant information and evidence to establish whether the Premier’s actions are sufficient, particularly when weighed against the public interest, to initiate prosecution,” Mr Katter wrote.
“I realise this case is unusual due to the office held by the individual against who the allegations are directed and the nature of the alleged offences.
“However, I believe this only serves to reinforce the seriousness with which these allegations are made and the consideration they warrant.”
Mr Katter wrote to the Crime and Corruption Committee in September last year, which determined the Premier’s actions established a prima facie case.
The MP also sought an opinion from Nick Ferrett QC.
The extra staff were afforded to KAP during the 2017 hung parliament.
The LNP has continued with its push to stop the name change of the former Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital.
Shadow health spokeswoman Ros Bates moved a notice of disallowance motion to stop the name change.
However the formal name change has already been undertaken, with the Government having spent more than $250,000 on the process so far.
The hospital is now known as the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
“Queenslanders were rightly appalled by the hospital name change debacle last year,” Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said.
“It showed that when it comes to health, Labor’s priorities are all wrong.”
The State Government is looking at measures to protect farmers ahead of a major activist event planned for April 8.
The day is gearing up to be the “biggest animal rights direct action the world has ever seen".
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she understood the stress activists were causing farmers and families.
“Just last week, Minister Mark Furner and I had the opportunity to talk to the Farmers’ Federation,” she said.
“We’re looking at any other measures.
“It’s not acceptable. They (farmers) work hard on the land.
“We do not accept this kind of behaviour.”
Queensland is a “low tax state”, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.
It follows a question by Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington who asked whether the Government would rule out increasing taxes following news the state’s coffers had taken a $1.3 billion hit off the back of the state’s weak property market.
The Premier didn’t say yes.
The Premier says her government is doing everything it can to fight new restrictions put on its shark drumlines in the Great Barrier Reef.
Asked whether the State had sought an injunction so that it could continue to operate its lines ahead of an appeal, Ms Palaszczuk said her government had urgently written to the Commonwealth.
She said that it had asked for legal assistance because the Commonwealth Government had been the primary respondent in the court action, therefore it was up to them to act.
It comes after the tourism industry demanded the Palaszczuk Government find a way to continue its shark control program in the Great Barrier Reef following its shock suspension last night.
More than 170 drum lines will be dehooked in areas including Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone — leaving swimmers unprotected — after the state decided it did not have the technology to abide new restrictions applied by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
MORE ON THIS
Shark control program officially suspended
Environmentalists win court battle over use of drumlines on Reef
The Premier says her government is doing everything it can to fight new restrictions put on its shark drumlines in the Great Barrier Reef.
Asked whether the State had sought an injunction so that it could continue to operate its lines ahead of an appeal, Ms Palaszczuk said her government had urgently written to the Commonwealth.
She said that it had asked for legal assistance because the Commonwealth Government had been the primary respondent in the court action, therefore it was up to them to act.
It comes after the tourism industry demanded the Palaszczuk Government find a way to continue its shark control program in the Great Barrier Reef following its shock suspension last night.
More than 170 drum lines will be dehooked in areas including Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone — leaving swimmers unprotected — after the state decided it did not have the technology to abide new restrictions applied by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
MORE ON THIS
Shark control program officially suspended
Environmentalists win court battle over use of drumlines on Reef
Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander has used the $1.3 billion transfer duty writedown announced by Treasurer Jackie Trad to take aim at Federal Labor’s planned negative gearing changes.
He has asked the Treasurer if she had asked Treasury to model the impact of that policy on the housing market in Queensland in light of the softening already being experienced.
Ms Trad hit back, telling Parliament she had not asked Treasury to do such modelling as they were currently working on the impact of the Federal Coalition’s GST writedown.
Queensland has not yet decided whether it will participate in a national public register of sex offenders funded by the Morrison Government in Tuesday's Budget.
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington asked Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk whether she would "stand with victims" and commit to the scheme.
Ms Palaszczuk said her number one priority was keeping children safe but there was not yet any detail known about the plan.
"When it comes to issues around a register, issues that need a national approach, I'm quite sure that these issues are usually addressed at the ministerial council meetings of the attorneys-general," she said.
But she said even expert advocates like Bravehearts' Hetty Johnston did not support a national register.
"More work would have to be done at the national level and we have not seen the fine detail when it comes to this policy," the Premier said.
Since Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace issued a public warning about the risks of engineered stone last year, there have been audits of all 138 known benchtop fabricators in Queensland.
“Health screening for 861 workers in this industry have also been arranged and medical and industry forums have been hosted,” Ms Grace said.
“An expert reference group of medical professionals met on 6 March, led by the Office of Industrial Relations with assistance from WorkCover Queensland and other agencies.
“At its first meeting, the expert reference group agreed there was a need for clear clinical guidance to ensure consistent diagnosis and management of workers who have been exposed to respirable crystalline silica in the engineered stone benchtop industry.”
MORE ON THIS
Stonemason first known victim of new crisis
Workers pay price as intervention comes too late
Silicosis is our worst industrial health crisis since asbestos
Since Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace issued a public warning about the risks of engineered stone last year, there have been audits of all 138 known benchtop fabricators in Queensland.
“Health screening for 861 workers in this industry have also been arranged and medical and industry forums have been hosted,” Ms Grace said.
“An expert reference group of medical professionals met on 6 March, led by the Office of Industrial Relations with assistance from WorkCover Queensland and other agencies.
“At its first meeting, the expert reference group agreed there was a need for clear clinical guidance to ensure consistent diagnosis and management of workers who have been exposed to respirable crystalline silica in the engineered stone benchtop industry.”
MORE ON THIS
Stonemason first known victim of new crisis
Workers pay price as intervention comes too late
Silicosis is our worst industrial health crisis since asbestos
