Passenger Rail

Broad welcomes statutory body on Cross River Rail

New ARA CEO Danny Broad. Photo: Shutterstock / ARA

While the creation of a statutory body for Brisbane’s Cross River Rail doesn’t guarantee the project’s certainty, Australasian Railway Association boss Danny Broad has welcomed the recent Palaszczuk Government announcement.

Queensland infrastructure minister Jackie Trad late last week welcomed the release of details on the project, which would build a rail tunnel bisecting the centre of Brisbane, adding significant operational capacity to south east Queensland’s passenger network.

Trad said the federal release was a “positive sign”.

“We want every level of government to have a seat at the table to support the delivery of this vital transport infrastructure and ensure the Cross River Rail project is no longer hostage to political point scoring,” Trad said.

“I welcome the support of the need for Cross River Rail given today by Federal Minister for Major Projects Paul Fletcher and the Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and hope that this will translate into funding commitments down the track when the business case is finalised and the model for the authority announced.”

Queensland transport minister Stirling Hinchliffe said support from both sides of politics for Cross River Rail is welcome relief for Queenslanders.

The establishment of a delivery authority was an important first step towards actually making the Cross River Rail happen, he added.

“It means both sides of politics at a federal level back the project and hopefully bipartisanship and positivity will extend to state politics as well,” Hinchliffe said.

“The business case is being finalised by Building Queensland by mid-year and I want to see that work done as soon as possible, so all parties can make prompt funding decisions.

“The delivery authority model announced today will mean all levels of Government can partner together with private investment to truly reshape Brisbane and share in the value of that redevelopment.

“This project needs to be bipartisan and I strongly welcome the comments made from federal colleagues today.”

Also welcoming the news was ARA boss Danny Broad.

“The Cross River Rail project will provide the much-needed second rail crossing of the Brisbane River,” Broad said last week.

“With Brisbane’s population expected to approach five million people within twenty years, the Cross River Rail project will increase the capacity of Brisbane’s rail network, allowing additional trains to run through Brisbane’s CBD, thereby meeting the forecast demands of the city’s population.”

While Broad was wary that the creation of a statutory authority for the project was a long way off the project being final, he said the move was commendable.

Broad said the use of innovative funding to deliver the project has the full support of the ARA.

The governments’ proposition to utilise value-capture along the route, to supplement a Federal, State and Local government co-investment, has the ARA’s support, Broad said.

“The ARA looks forward to the finalisation of the business case and the subsequent investment decision,” he said.

“We urge the Palaszczuk Government to work hard towards a 2016 investment decision that facilitates construction beginning in 2018.

“The ARA has been a long-time advocate for a Cross River Rail project in Brisbane and the significant economic, social and urban benefits the project will provide.”

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