The Council of Mayors (SEQ) has welcomed Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s $1.121 billion commitment to faster rail services between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Council of Mayors (SEQ) and Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the announcement was one of a number of major transport upgrades needed to support the region’s record population growth and to ensure the region was ready to deliver a successful 2032 Games.
“Council of Mayors SEQ has been a strong advocate for faster rail upgrades across the South East to address growing congestion across our major road corridors and inject billions into our region’s economy,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Throughout the pandemic we’ve seen South East Queensland become a destination of choice for interstate migration. We’ve known for a long time our region is the best place in Australia to live, and it’s safe to say the secret is well and truly out.
“But this growth is placing increased pressure on many of the things that make our region great. Things like how easy it is for people to find a job, how easy it is to move around, how affordable it is to live here and the health of our environment.
“Many of our roads are already under stress and by 2041 it is anticipated that all of South East Queensland’s major road corridors will be over capacity.
“In 2019 the Council of Mayors (SEQ) launched the SEQ People Mass Movement Study which found faster rail could transform the region by creating efficient connections between key hubs such as Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Toowoomba, helping to unlock the region’s potential to support growth, tourism, trade and economic returns.
“Council of Mayors (SEQ) started the region’s journey to secure the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games as a catalyst to attract greater investment in transport and we know faster rail is an important part of our region’s future.”
The Council of Mayors (SEQ) Deputy Chair and Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio said the Premier’s announcement was the first step towards a faster rail network for the South East.
“We know faster rail is needed along other corridors such as the north coast line and the Mayors are keen to see the existing rail network extended to support booming regions like Ipswich, Toowoomba and Sunshine Coast.”
“The region is growing and changing, and that’s why we’ve been working with the State and Federal governments on finalising a City Deal which provides a strategic and coordinated approach to investment in the South East over the next 20 years.”
Trains between Kuraby and Beenleigh on the Gold Coast line currently share single track in each direction limiting the number of services that can run each day. The project will increase capacity by duplicating the track between the two stations. It is also expected to remove five level crossings and upgrade nine stations.
Council of Mayors (SEQ) Treasurer and Redland City Council Mayor Karen Williams said there needed to be a regional plan for rail across South East Queensland.
“Faster rail south of Brisbane is an important first step in getting residents around safer and faster, but there needs to be an overarching regional plan to ensure the broader regional benefits are realised,” Cr Williams said.
“Some cities such as the Redlands still have a single rail line, while others have no rail at all, so we need an integrated plan that benefits the whole region.
“We only have one chance to get this right and the only way to do that is through a collaborative coordinated approach and my fellow Mayors and I stand ready to assist.”
