Sunshine Coast Council this week welcomed the Queensland Government commitment to provide $2.75 billion towards the delivery of Stage 1 of its proposed Sunshine Coast Direct Rail project from Beerwah to Caloundra.
But Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien said the rail announcement by Premier Steven Miles confirmed that the most sought-after legacy of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games was dead in its tracks.
“The 2032 Games was the Sunshine Coast’s ticket to finally secure passenger rail to Maroochydore, but two years of delay and indecision amidst a hyper inflationary environment has left this project in tatters,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Work should have already commenced two years on from the former Coalition government’s historic commitment of $1.6 billion towards this project.
“Under the 50/50 partnership previously negotiated between the Morrison and Palaszczuk governments, this debacle would never have happened.”
Stage 1 of the project includes a 19 km dual track built from Beerwah to Caloundra that the government announced could be operational in time for Brisbane 2032, subject to a matched funding agreement from the Federal Government.
The funding envelope for Stage 1 is expected to be between $5.5 billion and $7 billion, with final costs to be confirmed at the completion of the procurement phase.
Staged delivery will see the line ultimately run to Birtinya and Maroochydore.
“A direct rail connection to the Sunshine Coast will unlock thousands of homes in the growing Sunshine Coast region and accelerate the release of new, affordable developments,” Premier Miles said.
“Without the rail line, that development would bring an unmanageable level of congestion to the local road network, making this connection essential for new housing to be brought forward.”
Acting Sunshine Coast Mayor Rick Baberowski said Council appreciated that, for the first time, our region had a clear commitment from the State Government regarding the project and better clarity on the likely cost, timing and destinations.
“What is important now is that the Commonwealth Government comes on board to match this commitment so Sunshine Coast residents have certainty that the first stage of this critical public transport link to one of the fastest growing regions in the nation can get underway,” he said.
“While having this rail link delivered in time for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is important, what is more important is having in place an efficient, reliable and sustainable public transport network.”
Cr Baberowski said the Sunshine Coast had the second highest rate of private vehicle trips per day of any regional area in the country.
“So, getting people out of cars and on public transport is vital to reduce traffic congestion, cut emissions and increase productivity and wellbeing by better connecting people with their workplaces, shops and services in a timely and efficient manner,” he said.
“What our Council and our communities will now be looking for is a clear matching commitment from the Commonwealth to the funding announced by the Miles Government for Stage 1 of Direct Sunshine Coast Rail.
“We also want to see agreed timeframes, designs, plans and a starting date for Stage 1 and for the State Government to continue to explore methods of procurement that maximise the speed of delivery to ensure completion of Stage 1 by 2032.
“What also remains critical is that all levels of Government keep focussed on ultimately delivering public transport connectivity from Caloundra through to Maroochydore – our region’s capital and major commercial centre – so that the bulk of our community can easily access a reliable and efficient public transport system to get them to where they need to go.”
