Question on Notice

No. 211

Asked on 10 March 2021

MR M BERKMAN ASKED MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS (HON M BAILEY)

QUESTION:

With reference to the Director-General’s response during Budget Estimates hearings on 11 December 2020 that the Department of Transport and Main Roads will not support priority bus lanes on the following completion of the Centenary Motorway planning study—

Will the Minister advise (a) what is the basis for this decision by the department, (b) what specific plans other than priority bus lanes, if any, is the department progressing to improve public transport along this corridor and (c) what is the government’s plan to cut congestion on the Centenary Motorway, particularly for travel to and from suburbs in the electorate of Maiwar?

ANSWER:

I thank the Member for Maiwar for the question. a) An additional general-purpose traffic lane will deliver travel time benefits for all road users, including public transport passengers. Currently, the number of express pre-paid services delivered in this area is low and does not support the need for dedicated bus lanes. Installing a dedicated bus lane on the Centenary Motorway will exacerbate congestion on the motorway by reducing the number of lanes for traffic to flow through and it presents major challenges in terms of enforcement as it is difficult for the police to undertake enforcement on a constrained, high-volume and high-speed environment. b) The first stage of the proposed Centenary Motorway Upgrade is the Upgrade, which includes a new three-lane northbound bridge, reconfiguration of the existing bridge to provide three lanes southbound and improved active transport facilities. The Centenary Bridge Upgrade will provide increased efficiency for all modes of transport, including buses, travelling on the Centenary Motorway across the Centenary Bridge.

The Palaszczuk Government has committed $132 million for the design and construction of a new northbound bridge, over the River at Jindalee and refurbishment of the existing bridges. With the Australian Government’s commitment of $112 million, the project is fully funded, and construction is expected to commence in early-2022 and will take approximately four years to complete.

The Palaszczuk Government is modernising transport and is rolling out a new system where commuters will be able to use their contactless debit or credit cards, smart phones and smart watches to pay for trips in addition to go card and paper tickets. Smart ticketing is a $371 million investment to modernise and integrate ticketing across South East . Customers will also be able to manage and personalise their transit account options more effectively through an improved app and website that integrates payment, ticketing and journey planning options, underpinned by real-time information. c) The Centenary Motorway is currently one of the most congested motorways in Brisbane. It provides the primary link between Brisbane’s high-growth Western Corridor, the inner western and northern suburbs, and the Central Business District.

The planning study for the Centenary Motorway Upgrade was finalised in March 2019. The study provides a comprehensive understanding of the function of the motorway and has investigated improvements to ensure it meets the region’s future multi-modal transport needs. The study proposed a staged delivery between Frederick Street, and Sumners Road, Darra.

The Australian Government has committed $10 million from the Major Project Business Case Fund to further develop a project (or projects) to upgrade the Centenary Motorway. The business case will develop a cost estimate and assess the economic viability and risk of any upgrade. Completed or current improvements to the Centenary Motorway include:  six-laning the Centenary Motorway between Toowong and at Indooroopilly, connecting with the Tunnel (completed in June 2015)  opening the Moggill Road Cycle Bridge between Russell Terrace and Witton Road, linking the Centenary Motorway and Western Freeway Bikeways (completed in November 2015)  the $80 million Sumners Road Upgrade at Jamboree Heights, which is almost complete and supported 105 jobs over the life of the project, including grade separation of the Centenary Motorway Bikeway and vehicle traffic.  $244 million jointly funded by the Queensland and Australian governments for the Centenary Bridge Upgrade in Jindalee, forecast to begin construction in 2022.

The Palaszczuk Government continues to invest in public transport improvements across Queensland to meet future growth demand, including upgrades to stations and facilities, park ‘n’ rides, bus stops and interchanges. Once completed, Cross River Rail will also help unlock extra rail capacity and deliver the essential infrastructure that can support high frequency services across the transport network.

The Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) 2020–21 to 2023–24 represents a record investment in road and transport infrastructure for the fifth year in a row, with $26.9 billion in works committed over the next four years, supporting an average of approximately 23,600 direct jobs over the life of the program. Of this, approximately $3.65 billion is committed across the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ Metropolitan District, which is estimated to support an average of 3100 direct jobs over the life of the program.

With the pandemic impacting Queensland businesses and communities, significant road upgrades will be delivered to help stimulate the economy as part of Unite and Recover: Queensland’s Economic Recovery Plan. These upgrades provide immediate economic record benefits, support more jobs and deliver ongoing benefits of vital infrastructure for years to come.

The QTRIP 2020–21 to 2023–24 includes continued delivery of the $12.6 billion, 15-year jointly funded program to upgrade the , the continued delivery of more than $3.4 billion in upgrades on the Pacific Motorway, the commencement of the $1.53 billion Coomera Connector (Stage 1) project between Nerang and Coomera, over $1 billion for dedicated and targeted initiatives to bolster the Queensland Government’s commitment to road safety, the $709.9 million Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 project, and a $1 billion new pipeline of rail projects that includes making trains again in Queensland.