Cairns Common User Facility importance recognised by minister as costs and plans reviewed

The “single most catalytic piece of infrastructure” since the opening of the Cairns International Airport must go ahead, despite the new state government reviewing plans for the Common User Facility.

The Cairns Common User Facility importance has been recognised by the new transport minister as costs and plans are reviewed. Picture: Supplied

The “single most catalytic piece of infrastructure” since the opening of the Cairns International Airport must go ahead, advocates say, despite the new state government reviewing plans for the Common User Facility.

Far North leaders are ready to hold the new Transport Minister’s “commitment to infrastructure” to account as they remind the state government of the importance of the marine precinct’s Common User Facility.

On Wednesday, the new LNP state government toured the state, revealing multiple budget blowouts from Queensland Health projects, to the Borumba pumped hydro, and in Cairns – marine precinct’s Common User Facility.

Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg blasted the previous government for “hiding” a cost increase of $466m on what was budgeted initially as a $360m project.

“There were multiple errors within that business case, and as a consequence, the (former) state government went out and made a commitment to this project that is not even remotely in the ballpark,” he said.

Barron River MP Bree James, Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg and Mulgrave MP Terry James, walking by the Ports North office after revealing the budget for the Cairns Marine Precinct Common User Facility had blown out to $826m. Picture: Arun Singh Mann

“So our commitment is to be a considered and capable government that deals with projects in a systematic way, and we will not be rushing into any decision with respect to major projects.”

And a spokeswoman for the minister confirmed the funding already allocated towards the project would not be withdrawn, while the new government and Ports North and worked with stakeholders on a restart of the planning and design process.

The facility was the brainchild of Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch, Advance Cairns’ Trent Twomey, and BSE Maritime Solutions managing director Justin Parer, who decided that if Cairns wasn’t going to build ships, it was going to become the hub of maintaining them.

Former chairman of Advance Cairns Trent Twomey, Member for Leichardt Warren Entsch and former president of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce Sam Marino at a visit to BSE Marine Solutions in Cairns PICTURE: ANNA ROGERS

While Mr Entsch was overseas, Mr Twomey said the cost increase was not a surprise, but any funding already committed needed to be “quarantined”.

“The port of Cairns is not just strategically important to the people of Far North Queensland, it is strategically important for the country as a whole,” the former Advance Cairns chair said.

“The funds that were committed for the upgrading of our port need to be quarantined for our port, if we need to re-look at the design of the project then let’s re-look at the design of the project.

“But none of those funds should be clawed back because of budget constraints in Brisbane.”

Advance Cairns Chief Executive Jacinta Reddan. Picture: Brendan Radke

Advance Cairns chief executive Jacinta Reddan said it was “pleasing to hear he understood the importance of the common user facility” to the Far North.

“This is the single most catalytic piece of infrastructure since the opening of the international airport,” Ms Reddan said referring to the potential mammoth expansion of defence and commercial ship maintenance opportunities.

“We would certainly hope this project is not in jeopardy, it sounded like the minister understood the importance of the project.”

Originally published as Cairns Common User Facility importance recognised by minister as costs and plans reviewed