Last month I asked the Premier to keep her election promise to be a Premier for all Queensland by giving the Sunshine Coast its fair share of funding for infrastructure in this year’s State Budget.
Unfortunately all we’ve seen from the State Labor Government is a raft of new taxes that are going to whack Queenslanders by more than $2.2 billion and see our debt increase to $83 billion.
While they’ve promised $160.8 million for the long-awaited duplication of the rail line to Nambour, this is $230 million short of what’s needed to deliver this project, and the State LNP’s pledge to match the Federal Government’s $390 million commitment.
Also announced was a $7.4 million business case for the $430 million upgrade of one of the Coast’s worst black spots, the Sunshine Motorway at the Mooloolah River Interchange (MRI). This is swinging the lead from the State Labor Government as they’re not proposing to finish the business case until the middle of 2020. When we were in Government, we redesigned this project with a new alignment adopted and most of the resumptions undertaken. That’s why 2020 for a business case, when the preliminary business case has already been done, is too long. We will keep fighting to see this project brought forward.
I was pleased to see $3.5 million set aside this financial year for building new classrooms at Maroochydore State High School, which I have been advocating for that funding and committed that an LNP government would provide.
In regard to the Sunshine Coast Entertainment, Convention and Exhibition Centre, I am looking forward to seeing Council’s business case for this project so we can work together to see it delivered. It is a vitally important project to deepen the economic base of the Sunshine Coast. Council has done a lot of work to re-scope this project and I am keen to see the business case completed and funded and a submission put to government so that we can see this centre built.
Click here to read my Budget reply speech.
