Why Toowoomba Second Range Crossing toll is unknown

THE State Government has offered an explanation as to why we still don't know the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing toll.

A toll point and signs for toll payment provider Linkt can be seen on the under construction Toowoomba Second Range Crossing viewed from Burnview Ave, Sunday, June 9, 2019. Picture: Kevin Farmer

THE Queensland Government has admitted it does not yet know the cost of the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing toll, because original forecasts for the number of cars set to use the road were wrong.

The 2012 business case for the TSRC, done by the previous Newman State Government, had the toll costing $5.70 for light commercial vehicles, $22.85 for heavy vehicles and $34.25 for a new toll category called super heavy vehicles, which includes b-doubles. These costs account for inflation.

If introduced today the super heavy vehicle toll would be the highest toll in Australia.

In 2012, 6952 vehicles were predicted to use the crossing per day, but those numbers were recently revised down to 3048 vehicles per day. The original deal meant the Government would pick up the cost of lost toll revenue.

"The (then LNP government) signed this deal based on massively over-estimated numbers of trucks and cars that would use the new road," State Transport Minister Mark Bailey said.

"They had the chance to make sure taxpayers wouldn't pick up the bill if their numbers were wrong.

"They didn't do that and now taxpayers will pay twice, first the $1.6 billion construction bill for the new road as well as the shortfall between lower than expected annual toll revenue and the road's operation and maintenance costs for the next 24 years."

"This revelation exposes the LNP's amateur financial management. These prices would hurt the freight industry so I will be briefing key industry stakeholders before we announce final details on tolling arrangements, along with the opening date for the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing."

Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts said the project had been plagued by cost blow outs, construction issues and delays.

"We've been asking about the toll for years, to give freight and logistics companies the certainty they need to secure the future of their businesses," Mr Watts said.

"After all this time, its shameful of the Minister to blame a seven-year old business case for his blatant refusal to release the toll prices."

"User charges from the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing were forecast in the government's own 2019-20 Budget Papers, so it seems convenient for the Minister to now blame an outdated business case for his own failures.

"The business case for the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing should have been updated since 2012 to account for these changes and to ensure the ongoing maintenance costs and needs of the project could be catered for without passing exorbitant costs on to the taxpayer."

While it might appear construction has finished on the crossing, work is still occurring on the Embankment 24 section. The TSRC is currently expected to open in early September.
 

Originally published as Why Toowoomba Second Range Crossing toll is unknown