How an LNP Government Would a Ress Labor's Long Term Failure to Build Infra Tr ('T J E in L 8 a N I N BUILDING QUEENSLAND's FUTURE TOGETHER
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A Discussion Paper for Public Consultation How an LNP Government would a ress Labor's long term failure to build infra tr ('t J e in l 8 A n I n BUILDING QUEENSLAND'S FUTURE TOGETHER Report by Leader of the Opposition, Jeff Seeney, for Shadow Cabinet 1 September 2011 Table of contents Snapshot 2 Policy Commitments 7 Labor's record of mismanagement and waste 9 Investing in infrastructure to grow the economy 10 Leadership, certainty and clarity of direction 10 Infrastructure Inve tment - Making it Happen 11 Critical infrastructure for building our economic strengths 14 Resources 14 Agriculture 24 Tourism 25 South East Queensland 26 "Getting SEQ Moving: 2011-2012" - Council of Mayors 27 The Bruce Highway - Queensland's highway one 64 A Crisis in the Making 64 Roads to resources 66 Reinvesting in the regions 66 Rail Infrastructure in SEQ - the Cross River Rail issue 67 Appendix A 69 Appendix B 77 j -I- 1-' Snapshot This discussion paper was compiled after a 90 day consultation process involving extensive travel by Shadow Ministers around the State meeting with many different stakeholders and after considering extensive written submissions from Local Government and industry groups. It's purpose is to outline a plan to address the infrastructure deficit constraining economic growth and service delivery in Queensland, after almost two decades of Labor Government have left the State in a perilous financial state with ballooning debt and the loss of the long held AAA credit rating. This plan and the feedback received will be the basis for policy commitments from an alternative LNP Government at the next State Election. This plan proposes: Delivering infrastructure to drive economic growth and deliver Government services should be a primary policy objective of the LNP State Government. An LNP State Government should playa much stronger, more proactive, role in planning, prioritising, financing and delivering economic and social infrastructure projects. A "Highway One Crisis Management Group" should be formed to address the critical need to access Federal funding for a crisis avoidance plan for the Bruce Highway. There should be a new focus on funding options involving the private sector to maximise the use of private investment funds as a method of funding infrastructure in Queensland. A dedicated unit called "Queensland Projects" should be established within Treasury to develop and administer infrastructure funding models to suit each major project. The Coordinator General should be focussed on coordinating, facilitating and delivering major infrastructure projects that drive economic growth. An LNP State Government should embrace the absolute necessity to work closely with local Governments across the State but particularly with the large local Governments in South East Queensland to identify, prioritise and deliver infrastructure projects. Local Government and Industry should be involved to form "Queensland Infrastructure" to advise State Government on long term infrastructure needs and priorities for Queensland. A "Roads to Resources" fund should be established to facilitate Government and industry investment in better roads in regional Queensland. The emerging capacity constraints associated with the South Brisbane - Roma Street link in the centre of Brisbane should be addressed as a first step in addressing the cross river rail issue. All of the infrastructure projects that have been allocated genuine construction funding in the current four year budget forward estimates process should be completed as scheduled. Sourcing additional funding for the great many more infrastructure projects - that have been identified but remain unfunded - should be a priority to address the backlog caused by 20 years of Labor mismanagement and inertia. Identified "Critical Priority Projects" should be fast tracked immediately by an LNP State Government. Critical Priority Project I Proposed Action I Timing Compile a 10 year "Bruce Highway Crisis Action Plan" to address critical backlog in investment Bruce Highway Form a "Bruce Highway Crisis Management Group" Begin immediately to bring together all stakeholders in a concerted effort to end the political blame game and increase Federal funding Address critical short term rail capacity constraints CBD - Cross River Rail and identify and properly plan alternatives for long Begin immediately term solutions to inner city public transport needs Compile business case and complete planning Toowoomba Range Establish four way cooperative funding model Begin immediately Western Freight Corridor between Commonwealth, tate and ocal Government and the private sector Complete planning and establish funding model for Eastern Busway Begin immediately busway extension to Capalaba Establish a "Roads to Resources" fund to facilitate Regional Roads joint Government and industry investment in regional Begin immediately roads Replace dangerous open level rail crossings on major Level Rail Crossings Begin immediately urban roads in Brisbane Executive summary The provision of infrastructure is a key role of any State Government and a defining failure of the State Labor Government in Queensland. Driving economic development is the only way to regain our financial strength and to generate the revenue required to provide the social infrastructure and services Queenslanders need. To make the investments into roads, schools and hospitals and all the other services that State Governments provide, there is a need to maximise the economic potential of our State by addressing infrastructure constraints that hamper economic development. An LNP State Government will playa much stronger leadership role in driving growth in the Queensland economy by taking a lead role in planning, prioritising and delivering the infrastructure that will drive the economic development of Queensland. There is an absolute necessity for the State Government to work closely with local Governments across the State but particularly with the large local Governments in South East Queensland to address the deficit in infrastructure resulting from two decades of Labor Government. The inability of successive State Labor Governments to recognise the importance of those Local Governments and work together in a harmonious respectful relationship towards shared infrastructure goals has been a major contributing factor towards the infrastructure deficit constraining economic growth and impacting on the lives of many Queenslanders today. There is a universal recognition among Local Governments of regional centres from Brisbane to Cairns along with industry and community leaders that Queensland's major North South road link, the Bruce Highway is approaching a state of crisis with safety concerns and access constraints identified as major problems for most communities. Federal Funding for the Bruce Highway has been used as an excuse for political point scoring and buck passing by the current Labor Government with the attitude of current Main Roads Minister in particular causing frustration and anger in communities and industries that recognise the importance of this most critical road infrastructure. The Main Roads Department in an LNP Government should immediately begin a six month planning process to provide a creditable basis for a 10 year "Crisis Action Plan" to address the developing Bruce Highway crisis. A "Bruce Highway Crisis Management Group" should be formed to bring State and Federal Members together with regional Local Government leaders and representatives from such groups as the RACQ and heavy transport operators to work together to address the critical need to access a greater share of Federal funding for Queensland's most important road infrastructure. The economy as a whole, and every Queenslander individually, can benefit enormously from the expansion of 4 our existing mining, agriculture, construction and tourism industries if the necessary infrastructure is in place to facilitate that economic growth and strengthen local communities. The development of the coal seam gas industry to export liquefied natural gas to the world provides particular infrastructure challenges as well as an opportunity to catapult the Queensland economy to a new level of prosperity and provide a new, highly sought after energy source to the world. Funding the infrastructure that Queensland so desperately needs to facilitate economic growth is a major challenge primarily due to the parlous financial position with which the Labor Government has burdened our State and which has resulted in the loss of our much prized AAA credit rating. There should be a unit established within Treasury called "Queensland Projects" to develop and administer innovative funding models that maximise the opportunities for private investment capital to be invested in infrastructure construction in Queensland. An LNP State Government would seek to maximise the level of available State funds committed to infrastructure however there would be a new focus on maximising the use of private investment as a method of funding infrastructure in Queensland rather than as an option of last resort as is the approach of the current Labor Government. A long term commitment should be made to a pipeline of investment opportunities in Queensland to ensure that private enterprise has the certainty to invest the time, people and finances required to be involved in funding and operating critical public infrastructure. Financing models accessing private sector investment funds should provide returns to investors primarily