State Government All but Abandons Crucial Rail Project
Queenslanders awakened to the news this morning that the State Labor Government all but thrown up the white flag on one of the State’s most important rail projects.
The shocking news comes after over two decades of bipartisan support for the project, and a groundbreaking $1.6 billion commitment from the previous Federal Coalition government.
Sunshine Coast MP, Andrew Wallace, who has championed the project since 2016 has condemned the Miles Government for perpetuating the petty politics and rail fails of the Palaszczuk government.
Premier Steven Miles and Treasurer Cameron Dick, who refused to fund the project under the Palaszczuk Government, have announced that they can’t afford to stump up the funding shortfall, demanding an additional $1.1 billion from the Federal Government to deliver just half of the project.
The project, earmarked by the Beattie Government to bring rail to Maroochydore from Beerwah, via Caloundra and Kawana, will now only reach Caloundra, in a cynical move to help Labor retain its slim margin on the traditionally LNP-held seat.
Mr Wallace said the Sunshine Coast community was at their wits end with the State Labor Government after years of broken promises, political games and platitudes when it came to Sunshine Coast public transport.
“We’ve had it up to our necks with the utter incompetence and cheap politics of the Palaszczuk-Miles State Labor Government,” Mr Wallace said.
“The costings were done. The Federal Coalition Government came to the table with 50% of the funding plus a 10% contingency. This was half of the cost for a project which is 100% the State Government’s responsibility,” Mr Wallace continued.
“The State LNP committed to their share of the funding at the time, while Labor dithered, delayed, and even derided the historic funding commitment. It took 18 months of sustained advocacy just to get Federal Labor to keep the commitment, and now State Labor are wantonly throwing 2/3 of it away.”
“This is another budget blow-out by the Palaszczuk-Miles Labor Government. They have dropped the ball big time. Delays drive up prices. The CFMMEU tax adds 30%. Queensland construction sector confidence is at an historic low. And runaway inflation thanks to Federal Labor has only made it worse.”
“Sunshine Coast Rail will connect the region to the city and the hinterland to the coast, unlocking over 9,500 jobs and an Olympic-sized opportunity,” Mr Wallace continued.
“Thanks to Steven Miles, Anastasia Palaszczuk, Cameron Dick and the circus of reckless, witless and gutless State Labor Ministers, the Sunshine Coast will miss out once again. It is regional Queensland who always winds up paying the price for Labor.”
This is the latest in a spate of budget blowouts and abandoned projects on the Sunshine Coast, with the Mooloolah River Interchange upgrade shelved after Federal Labor withdrew $160 million from the $320 million project, after it blew out to $744 million. 130 homes had already been demolished with residents forced to find somewhere to live in the middle of a housing crisis.
