Premier Steven Miles downplays Sunshine Coast rail funding gap

Queensland Premier Steven Miles insists there is “ample time” to construct rail from Beerwah to Caloundra in time for the 2032 Games despite potential funding gaps.

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Queensland Premier Steven Miles insists there is “ample time” to construct rail from Beerwah to Caloundra in time for the 2032 Olympic Games.

Mr Miles defended the State Government’s record on the $5.5bn, 19km project and said former Prime Minister Scott Morrison had only “arbitrarily” allocated $1.6bn.

“There was never any indication what that dollar amount would cover, but we have had indications from the new Australian Government that they will honour that commitment.

“Now that we have on the table our share of the funding, and assuming that we still have access to their $1.6bn, we’ll continue to work on the planning work while the Australian Government considers the gap between what they currently have on the table and what would be required to deliver it.”

Mr Miles had told The Sunday-Mail the project would be built in three stages – from Beerwah to Caloundra, then Birtinya, before ending in Maroochydore.

Only the first section to Caloundra can be built in time for the 2032 Games, though this is contingent on the federal government coming on board with an extra $1.1bn on top of its existing $1.6bn commitment.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles during a press conference in Brisbane on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Stage one will cost $5.5bn at least and up to $7bn at the highest end of estimates.

On Monday Mr Miles, asked if the funding needed to be provided in May’s federal budget, said the Commonwealth could take its time.

“These are all long-term projects,” he said.

“Many of these funding allocations are beyond the current forward estimates and so there’s ample room for the Australian Government to consider this project properly to look at the business case, which is a very detailed business case and determine when and how they contribute their funding.”

Artist impression of a rail line into the heart of the Sunshine Coast. Source: Queensland Government.

Transport Minister Bart Mellish would not be drawn on whether the state government would go it alone, like it did with the $6.3bn Cross River Rail, if the federal government did not offer cash.

“I’m very keen for the federal government to say yes,” he said.

“They’ve got to go through their budgetary process so I don’t want to jump in front of that but we’ll continue our discussion in a positive manner.”

It comes after the state government on Sunday trumpeted its pledge to pour almost $3bn to build the rail line extension from Beerwah to Caloundra – short of the original plan to extend the line north to Maroochydore.

The rail extension to Maroochydore, past the 2032 basketball preliminaries venue and where the satellite athletes’ village will be located, was touted as a key piece of infrastructure deliverable as a result of Brisbane winning the Games.

While the corridor remains allocated, political infighting between the state and federal government had delayed progress on the project to beyond the 2032 Games – with both Labor and the LNP blaming the other side for the stall.

Originally published as Premier Steven Miles downplays Sunshine Coast rail funding gap