Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast public transport spending revealed

Governments have come under fire for lack of public transport funding. Now it can be revealed how much cash has been splashed on the state’s fastest growing region.

The Sunshine Coast’s public transport network has been described as being in a “perilous state” as a budget paper analysis found the region was $1.2bn behind the Gold Coast in funding during the past decade.

The Sunshine Coast Council and business leaders have called for urgent public transport upgrades, including rail, after being “overlooked” for decades.

The Sunshine Coast Daily has launched the Train for the Games campaign in support of heavy rail from Brisbane to Maroochydore.

The Sunshine Coast Daily has analysed federal and state budget papers from the past decade.

It found only $150.7m was spent on rail and bus improvements and projects on the Sunshine Coast from 2011 to 2021, compared to $1.38bn on the Gold Coast for the same time.

This equates to about $439 per person for the population of the Sunshine Coast and $2146 for each of the estimated 643,000 people on the Gold Coast.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said a reliable public transport network was “desperately needed” on the Sunshine Coast.

“Neither I nor our council has ever been shy or backward in advocating for essential infrastructure investment by the other tiers of government into the Sunshine Coast – with investment in the public transport network arguably our highest advocacy priority,” Mr Jamieson said.

Sunshine Coast Business Council chair Sandy Zubrinich said the organisation had called for an integrated transport strategy since 2013.

Evans Long managing director Dirk Long echoed those frustrations and said “I think all residents in this region would say we have been overlooked for a lot of critical infrastructure spend”.

The Sunshine Coast’s population is expected to boom to beyond 500,000 people by 2041.

With the 2032 Olympics on the horizon, Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast chief executive Paul Fisher said public transport funding was needed now.

He said the Sunshine Coast’s economy was worth $21bn a year and the region needed a reliable transport system to support its growth.

While state and federal governments were completing the $550.8m Beerburrum to Nambour rail duplication project, only $132.6m of that money was spent up until 2021.

The Sunshine Coast has fallen behind the Gold Coast when it comes to public transport spending.

There has also been a $10m Nambour railway station upgrade, $7.5m towards a mass transit business case on the Sunshine Coast and about $655,00o on bus station upgrades.

The Daily’s deep dive included money in government budgets from 2011-21, not future funding commitments such as the $1.6bn promised from the federal LNP for Beerwah to Maroochydore rail.

The majority of spending on the Gold Coast has gone towards its light rail system.

It is set to receive billions more with contracts signed for early works for stage 3 of the light rail, from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads.

In February, the state government committed $1.1bn to deliver faster rail services between Brisbane the Gold Coast ahead of the 2032 Games.

It was the first piece of Olympics transport infrastructure confirmed since South East Queensland was named as the preferred hosts for the event in mid-2021.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said there was “no groundwork” for a strong public transport system in 2015 when Labor was elected.

“(There was) not even a business case commenced to duplicate the rail line, no groundwork for the Mooloolah River Interchange or the start of development for a strong public transport system,” he said.

“Early works are underway for the $550m jointly funded Sunshine Coast rail duplication project which includes park n rides and local road improvements with completion due in 2025.”

However there has been spending on road upgrades including the region’s largest ever infrastructure project – the $932m Bruce Hwy upgrade.

There is an estimated $3.6bn worth of transport and road projects across the Sunshine Coast over the next four years.

Fisher MP Andrew Wallace, who is contesting for re-election, said the region’s public transport was in a “perilous state” but he laid the blame at the state government.

Mr Wallace said the federal LNP committed $1.6bn towards extending rail from Beerwah to Maroochydore, but the state government still needed to “come to the table”.

“Queensland Labor wouldn’t duplicate the North Coast Rail (Beerburrum to Nambour) without the federal government stumping up 70 per cent of the cost,” he said.

“Now as the Sunshine Coast cries out for heavy rail, State Labor plays petty political games.”

Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien also blamed the state government and said the region had been treated like the Gold Coast’s “poor cousin”.

“The Sunshine Coast is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia which is why it’s so important that we build transport infrastructure ahead of the population curve,” Mr O’Brien, who is also contesting for re-election, said.

“Despite the Federal Government announcing $390 million for Beerburrum to Nambour upgrades four years ago the State Government has only started work over recent months.

“They don’t waste such time when it comes to Gold Coast projects like light rail.”

The figures:

From 2011-2021

Gold Coast:

$639.2m on light rail, stage 1, from 2011-14

$420m for light rail, stage 2

$163 for Helensvale to Coomera rail duplication

$166.2m for light rail, stage 3

= $1.38bn/643,000 population = $2,146

Sunshine Coast:

$132.6m out of $550.8m for Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade from 2018-21

$10m for a Nambour Train Station upgrade in 2016

$7.5m for business case on mass transit study

$655,000 for bus station upgrades

= $150.7m/343,000 = $439.35