A Queensland MP says claims of a major cost blowout on a long-awaited Sunshine Coast rail upgrade are in stark contrast to every briefing he has had on the project.
Federal Coalition MP Ted O'Brien has renewed a push for the Sunshine Coast rail line to reach Maroochydore by 2032, after the state government wavered on its commitment.
But just months after a decisive victory at the polls, the government is wavering on its key election commitment.Asked directly whether a rail line would still reach Maroochydore by 2032 as promised, Mr Bleijie repeatedly committed to "mass transit" and said he would examine "all the proposals" submitted to the 100-day Games review that finishes in March.
"If we don't leverage the Games to build this rail system, it will never be done and future generations will look back and ask why our generation failed to rise to the occasion and build a lasting legacy."The SC2032 group suggested scrapping the rail project in favour of building a bus rapid transit network, saying the trains would only provide "limited value".Controversially, they also recommended selling to developers some of the land long reserved for the train line.
Among SC2032's nine current directors are four people with links to the LNP, but Ms White rejected the opposition's claim that her group was doing the LNP's work by providing the government with cover to break its promise."Sunshine Coast 2032 is an apolitical group … we're volunteers just trying to do the best for our community," she said.
The business case estimated the entire project to Maroochydore would cost $12 billion, and found 75 per cent of people supported the project. But in May, the federal government announced it would fund an extra $1.15 billion, bringing its contribution to $2.75 billion and matching the state government's funding in a 50:50 split.Griffith University Associate Professor and political scientist Paul Williams said the government's recent announcements about cost blowouts were a deliberate and well-worn tactic for politicians of all stripes.
Maroochydore Train Sunshine Coast Olympics Sunshine Coast Direct Train Line Beerwah To Caloundra Train Maroochydore Olympics Public Transport Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast Bus Ted O'brien Federal Coalition LNP Jarrod Bleijie Member For Fairfax Sunshine Coast 2032 SC2032 Rail Back On Track Jeffrey Addison Brendan Burkett Roz White Sunshine Coast Direct Rail Griffith University Paul Williams
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