Westside’s winners: projects funded in the Budget

From schools to roads, community sport to bikeways. Find out what projects were funded in your westside suburb.

Tuesday’s State Budget was austere, and contined a massive blowout in debt.

But there were still some winners despite the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the bottomline.

We take a look at the projects funded across the westside’s four state seats.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey. Picture: Attila Csaszar

MILLER

Sherwood, Graceville and Chelmer make up the northern tip of this electorate, held by Labor Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey who has several huge infrastructure projects to deliver in his seat.

“I’m proud of the way our community has responded to COVID-19, which in turn has allowed us to invest in record roads and transport, in better schools for our community and better health facilities,’’ Mr Bailey said.

“I know our schools will benefit from building upgrades, our community from upgraded and new health facilities and plans for a new satellite hospital in our city’s south.

“The Budget will see joint funding build a second Centenary bridge and to complete the Ipswich Mwy upgrade between Rocklea and Darra as well as the Sumners Rd interchange.

Highlights

- Centenary bridge duplication $244 million jointly-funded

- Sumners Rd interchange $80 million

- Sherwood State School, increasing OSHC capacity $500,000

- Minor works and maintenance for schools across Miller $706,000

- Kenmore Bears and Western Suburbs District Cricket Club sports ground upgrade at Chelmer – club house, fields and change room facilities $1 million

- Souths Graceville Junior Rugby League Club field upgrade and clubhouse $450,000

Michael Berkman. Picture: Annette Dew

MAIWAR

Formerly called Indooroopilly, this seat is held by Greens MP Michael Berkman and stretches from St Lucia to Toowong and Bardon.

Mr Berkman welcomed the $65 million for a new primary school and the initiatives listed below, but said there were missed opportunities.

“It’s really important the Centenary Mwy and Centenary Bridge duplication includes bus lanes, but right now the State Government has not supported that despite bus priority being in the Western Brisbane Transport Network Strategy — dating all the way back to 2009,’’ he said.

“It will be important to make sure the Indooroopilly Shopping Centre bus station upgrade makes pedestrian access easier rather than harder, like the previous “upgrades” of this intersection funded by AMP Capital.

“The Riverwalk upgrade is relevant to the Ambrose Treacy College expansion (via Ministerial Designation) which lots of locals are worried about.

“The State Government is now involved in designing the stretch of shared path along Witton Rd, which is threatened by the proposed new drop and go zone.

“It is really good that the Government is now involved since ATC’s proposal is quite disruptive.’’

Highlights

- Auchenflower train station upgrade, $11.88m in 2020-21 out of total $40.2m total funding, mostly in future years. Nothing for Taringa station upgrade despite a push from Mr Berkman.

- Centenary Mwy (Ellen Grove to Toowong), Centenary Bridge stage 1, duplicate bridge - $16m in 2020-21 out of a total of $244m.

- Indooroopilly Shopping Centre bus station, design bus station - $0.5m split across 2020-21 and 21-22.

- Indooroopilly Riverwalk, Twigg St to Centenary Cycleway, design shared path - $0.28m jointly funded by Council and State, starting 2020-21.

ALP MP for Cooper Jonty Bush. Picture: Liam Kidston

COOPER

Incoming Labor MP Jonty Bush has taken over this Ashgrove/The Gap-based seat from her ALP predecessor Kate Jones.

“We have a funding envelope of over $23 million in schools throughout my electorate and I know our students their families and the broader community who access these facilities will celebrate that,’’ she said.

“We backed small business with $1 billion in 12-month interest free loans, with more than

$1.3 billion in payroll tax and land tax relieve and close to $200 million in small business

grants.’’

Ms Bush said those grants and loans had helped dozens of small businesses in Cooper including Paddington Pups, a dog minding and grooming service which received a COVID-19 Adaptation Grant to provide targeted business coaching for her team.

Milk cafe in Ashgrove used grant funding to replace and upgrade kitchen machinery, expanding their output and setting them up for future growth.

Highlights

- Over $10m for Ithaca Creek State School for a new building with six new classrooms and two specialist learning spaces, plus $450,000 to upgrade its swimming pool amenity block.

- $10.1m for 12 new classrooms at The Gap State High School and $500,000 for a tuckshop upgrade.

- $1.85m for a new building for Petrie Terrace State School, adding an additional four classrooms.

- $200,000 investment to modernize and upgrade existing classrooms at Ashgrove State School.

- $200,000 to renovate the Hilder Road State School prep classrooms.

- $156,000 for St Joseph’s Primary School in Bardon for a new playground and tennis court resurfacing.

- $.5m across eight schools for maintenance and minor works.

- $250,000 to upgrade visitor infrastructure and wildlife facilities at the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre at the Enoggera Reservoir.

- $974,000 to upgrade visitor infrastructure in D’Aguilar National Park.

Dr Christian Rowan. Picture: Liam Kidston

MOGGILL

Dr Christian Rowan is the LNP MP for the seat, which takes in the suburbs around Pullenvale and Kenmore.

“Yet again, the Palaszczuk State Labor Government has abandoned local residents in the electorate of Moggill,’’ he said.

“After years of my continued advocacy, combined Federal-State Government funding had been secured for the Kenmore Roundabout Upgrade.

“However, the Palaszczuk Labor Government is further delaying this vital upgrade project. “Labor is also continuing with its go-slow approach to the duplication of the Centenary Mwy Bridge.

“With $258 million set aside for new multi-purpose school halls and performing arts centres in schools across Queensland, the Palaszczuk State Labor Government must specifically allocate funding to Kenmore State High School to fully upgrade its dilapidated and unfit-for-purpose school hall.

“It is also incumbent on the Labor government to immediately prioritise a new high school to service families in the suburbs of Bellbowrie, Moggill, Anstead, Mount Crosby, Karana Downs and surrounding areas.”

Highlights

- $600,000 has now been allocated over the next two years for Moggill Rd Cycle Planning from Rafting Ground Reserve to the Centenary Mwy.