Broken promises of delayed infrastructure and bigger debt was the disappointing outcome of the “lost opportunity” State Budget.
The State Labor Government has broken their promise to deliver the Mooloolah River Interchange Business Case mid 2020[1] with evidence the project’s planning had been pushed out into 2021-22.
Anyone that uses the dangerous interchange near the Mooloolah River would know it is a death-trap and congestion nightmare for anyone on the Sunshine Motorway and Nicklin Way and feeder roads.
However, the State Budget is silent on finishing this business case and getting on with building this project.
Transport Minister Bailey promised the business plan would be finished by the middle of this year, but it’s now pushing out to 2021/2022 according to QTRIP.[2]
When the LNP was in Government we purchased most of the houses in the corridor of the MRI to get the project underway. Since then this State Government dragged their heels on the business case and have now broken their promise by failing to finish the business case which involves design work this year.
Despite the State Labor promising only $4 billion additional borrowings at the State election a few weeks ago, the debt is now set to blowout by $28 billion across the next four years with no new pipeline of infrastructure on the table.
Business, property and building industry had been scathing about the lack of vision of the budget with words used to describe it as “missed opportunity”, “disappointing, “lack of action” and that Queensland had been put to the “back of the pack” compared to Victoria and New South Wales
The budget handed down shows the budgeted borrowing to be seven times more than was promised, bringing Queensland’s debt to $130 billion. This is Labor’s first broken promise, which with record low interest rates this will push the interest expense to over $10 million per day while the budget fails to focus on economic producing infrastructure.
It is even worse given that Queensland have the highest unemployment in mainland Australia with 214,000 Queenslanders without a job this Christmas.
As Queensland’s debt continues to grow, the LNP will work to make the Government accountable. As the Shadow Minister for Integrity in Government I will work hard to ensure that the Palaszczuk Government is questioned around areas of concern:
2020-21 Budget breakdown for the Maroochydore Electorate and surrounding area:
- $2.8m Mooloolaba State School new building
- $42.8M Energy Capital Program for Capital Purchases
- $27.4M for Sunshine Coast University Hospital
- $93.9M Bruce Highway (Brisbane-Gympie) Maroochydore Road Interchange upgrade
- $250,000 Maroochydore – Mooloolaba Road and Ocean Street improvement section
- $1.0M Mooloolaba Harbour entrance, dredging and bed levelling
- $312,000 Mooloolaba Road, Syd Lingard Drive to dual carriageway, improve intersection
- $225,000 Mooloolaba to Maroochydore cycleway, design cycleway
- $3.2M Sunshine Motorway
- $15,000 Coastal Pathway Planning, Caloundra to Coolum
- $80,000 Maroochydore Road (Baden Powell St/Amaroo St)
- $200,000 Maroochydore to Mooloolaba Road Cycleway (M2M), Sixth Avenue-Mary Street
- $350,000 Bradman Avenue shared cycleway/footpaths and supporting infrastructure
- $4.0M Brisbane Road and Walan Street safety improvements
- $115,000 Bungama St and Maroubra Street planning, design and program administration
[1] 2018 June 20: Transport Minister Bailey promised Mooloolah River Interchange business case would be finished by mid-2020 Funding for Mooloolah River interchange flows thanks to budget – Ministerial Media Statements
[2] QTRIP (August 2020) North Coast—Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program for 2020–21 to 2023-24 (p.63)
