A $2.75 billion pledge to fund a railway line on the southern Sunshine Coast is not good enough, according to local business groups.
Deputy Premier Cameron Dick on Sunday announced a commitment to build a 19km dual track from Beerwah to Caloundra: the first stage of the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail project.
It’s expected to cut 45 minutes off travel time between Brisbane and Caloundra, and should be completed by the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
But Sunshine Coast Business Council chair Sandy Zubrinich said the state’s heavy rail plan fell short and she expressed disappointment that the connection would not extend into the Maroochydore CBD ahead of the Games.
“The Business Council has, for many years, advocated loudly and consistently for a commitment by all levels of government to deliver heavy rail from Beerwah to Maroochydore,” she said.
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“(It is) essential in providing an enhanced public transport network for the coastal areas of Sunshine Coast and in activating the Maroochydore CBD, Australia’s largest master-planned city centre.
“Delivering the infrastructure from Beerwah to Maroochydore provides regional benefits to the key communities of Aura, Caloundra, Birtinya, Mountain Creek and Maroochydore, which cannot be achieved by staging.
“We have talked about timeframes to deliver this project since well before the Olympic Games, but had hoped that this opportunity to be on the world stage would be the catalyst for the state government to finally make a genuine commitment to deliver this game-changer project for our region.
“While the funding commitment to deliver heavy rail to Caloundra is significant, it falls short of what is needed to deliver rail into Maroochydore, which is long overdue.
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“We have significant investment in the Maroochydore CBD, with the likes of the Sunshine Coast Council, Walker Corporation and others coming to the table, and yet the state government will not acknowledge how critical this economic precinct is in growing our local economy and creating jobs for the 150,000-plus people they project will move here in the next 15 to 20 years.
“The CBD will be the heart of the Sunshine Coast with a convention centre, entertainment precinct and residential accommodation, all expected to be accelerated by hosting the Sunshine Coast’s athlete’s village for the 2032 Games.”
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Construction of Stage 1 is set to start in 2026 and is expected to cost $5.5b to $7b.
It is contingent on the federal government, which has $1.6b on the table, matching the state’s funding of $2.75b.
Ms Zubrinich said that funding needed to be secured, and more.
“Certainty is required from both the state and federal government to ensure this $7b investment commitment is locked in – and extended to deliver passenger rail into Maroochydore within the next decade,” she said.
That’s likely to cost billions extra.
“While we may be one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, we have constantly been overlooked when it comes to rail infrastructure investment,” she said.
“Now we have a promise (of course, with caveats), for rail into Caloundra by 2032 and no hard timelines for Stages 2 and 3.
“Again, we call on state and federal governments to secure the funding and commit to delivering heavy rail to Maroochydore by 2032.”
The Caloundra Chamber of Commerce welcomed the funding announcement but also said more should be done.
“A line connecting Brisbane to Caloundra is a great first step,” Caloundra Chamber of Commerce CEO Brady Sullivan said.
“(But) whether it’s rapid bus or trackless trams, the project needs to be accompanied by a mass transit system to ensure we can connect travellers from the Caloundra station to Maroochydore in a sustainable and time-efficient manner.”
Caloundra Chamber of Commerce president Michael Shadforth said federal government support was crucial.
“We are now calling on the federal government to commit to the $2.75 billion co-investment that will ensure the Sunshine Coast’s growing population and our region’s success during the 2032 Olympics is supported,” he said.
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