The LNP is committed to Sunshine Coast rail to Maroochydore

A fresh state LNP promise has been made over rail in the Sunshine Coast, with a dig at opposition, but Labor has hit back in the train line debate.

Sunshine Coast Business Council

The Tourism Minister has reiterated his party’s commitment to the Sunshine Coast direct rail line to Maroochydore by 2032, which has been plagued with uncertainty in recent weeks.

The Tourism Minister Andrew Powell spoke to the Sunshine Coast business community today on key infrastructure projects and the tourism future of the region.

The LNP state government is preparing its 100-day plan to fund and deliver the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games and to ensure its enduring legacy.

Minister Andrew Powell said his party would maintain the key election promise.

Minister Powell with the Sunshine Coast and Noosa Mayors at the Sunshine Coast Business Council presentation

“The LNP state team is as committed as we’ve ever been to ensuring we deliver the rail line all the way through to Maroochydore,” Mr Powell said.

“The people who aren’t are the Federal Labour Government and the State Labour Opposition and their decision to pull the federal funding is what’s putting this in jeopardy,” he said.

“We remain committed. We will deliver.”

Shadow Transport Minister Bart Mellish said on Wednesday it was the “biggest broken election promise” he had seen.

He quoted Premier David Crisafulli, Brent Mickelberg and Jarrod Bleijie saying the LNP would build the generational infrastructure Queenslanders desperately need like Sunshine Coast heavy passenger rail all the way to Maroochydore.

Shadow Transport Minister Bart Mellish.

“Now we are seeing the Deputy Premier walk this back, we are seeing this tied up in the Olympic review, we are seeing the LNP break their promise,” Mr Mellish said.

“It looks like the LNP are lining up to cut the entire project,” he said.

The Shadow Minister said $5.5bn was locked in for this project from the previous Labor government and the LNP would attempt to blame a withdrawal on a lack of Federal funding.

At the end of last month, Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie appeared to take a step back from that commitment after a submission made to the state government’s 100-day Olympics review revealed the total cost of the project could balloon to $20bn, equivalent to $530,000 per metre of track.

Deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie at Queensland Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Minister Powell said the time frame for decisions will be part of the findings from the independent body looking at venues and infrastructure needed for the Olympic Games.

“The Olympics weren’t about venues and red carpets and glitz and glamour, they were about the generational, transformational infrastructure that our growing population needs,” he said.

‘It’s our opportunity to catch up and get ahead.”

Just last week Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien rejected the $20bn figures submitted to the state government.

“Claims that the project now costs $20bn with trains running at only 50kmh along 20m high tracks across the coast are in stark contrast to every briefing I’ve had on this project over the last eight years,” Mr O’Brien said.