Premier Steven Miles pledges to build second bridge to Bribie Island
Steven Miles wants to spend $700m duplicating a bridge his own transport department says is unnecessary for the “foreseeable future”.
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The state government has vowed to spend $700m duplicating a bridge its own transport department says is unnecessary for the “foreseeable future”.
Premier Steven Miles’ inaugural infrastructure election commitment, in the critical swing seat of Pumicestone, has also been made without a finalised business case.
Labor, if re-elected in October, has vowed to spend $700m duplicating the Bribie Island Bridge to make it two lanes each way. This is the equivalent of spending nearly $34,000 on each of the island’s 20,612 residents.
Analysis of the latest Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program also shows the bridge duplication will be the most expensive transport project funded unilaterally by the state government since Cross River Rail.
Treasurer Cameron Dick confirmed the state government would borrow the $700m needed – adding to the estimated borrowings bill set to hit $111.3bn by 2027-28 as per the budget released three weeks ago.
Mr Miles said the bridge duplication was about doing “what matters” for Bribie Island and would solve the issue of residents being cut off from the mainland and from critical hospital services, when the road is blocked by a crash.
According to the government the population of the island and traffic volumes had “grown significantly since the existing bridge was built in 1963”, and this was expected to continue.
“Extensive community consultation has already shown that Bribie Island locals and visitors alike understand the need to plan for the future,” he said.
“It’s my commitment to Queenslanders that, if re-elected, I will build a new bridge for Bribie Island.”
The project, of undefined timeline, is set to cost $700m based on a “prerelease” of a business case that has been in the works since July 2022. Transport and Main Roads, in its outline of the project, stated the existing bridge “can sustain traffic for the foreseeable future”.
Pumicestone MP Ali King, who sits on a margin of 5.3 per cent after gains for Labor amid its 2020 Covid response, said the bridge would “absolutely” be completed before 2031 despite the lack of a clear timeline.
Mr Miles would not go so far as to promise a finish date and said the intention was to begin construction in the next term of government should Labor be successful.
TMR’s business case is nearly completed and is “due for release” shortly, according to Ms King.
She argued the announcement could be made before the release of the full document because it was an election commitment.
“What I can tell you is that this solution that we’ve that has been designed through a large amount of community consultation through TMR,” Ms King said.
“And all of the geotechnical and engineering assessments that have gone forward has delivered the best possible value for money solution.”
The option of duplicating the bridge rather than constructing a new four-lane structure would reduce width, cost and traffic impacts according to TMR.
Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie slammed the state’s staunch refusal to support the LNP’s plan to build a new bridge at the 2020 election and questioned the timing of the announcement.
Then transport minister Mark Bailey, in response to the LNP’s 2020 election promise to spend $3m undertaking a business case, said the bridge “wouldn’t need upgrading until after 2031”.
“The LNP is ignoring expert advice again and promising a bridge they can’t pay for,” he said at the time.
He noted Ms King said it wasn’t a priority for her, would likely cost $200m, and create traffic chaos.
In June 2022 infrastructure consulting firm AECOM was awarded $4m to develop a business case for the project to assess where a new bridge could be built.
Ms King yesterday said she had “fought for this bridge every single day since I’ve been elected and before”.
The Miles government is expected to spend the next two days on Bribie Island as part of a community blitz, with announcements set to include the official opening date of a satellite hospital.
Mr Miles, alongside Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, will tour the facility today although the official opening date for stage 1 of the project is slated for July 17. The second stage of the facility, to include cancer care including chemotherapy, oral health services and a healthy ageing and rehabilitation team, will open in “early 2025”.
“We know our satellite hospitals are doing a fantastic job taking pressure off our emergency departments and providing more care for Queenslanders,” Ms Fentiman said.
“Not only do they assist people with minor injuries such as sprains and cuts, but they also provide access to vital services such as dialysis and mental health support closer to home. And once cancer care services are available next year, the Bribie community will be able to access potentially lifesaving chemotherapy treatment.”
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Originally published as Premier Steven Miles pledges to build second bridge to Bribie Island
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