TRANSCRIPT: GOLD COAST LIGHT RAIL PROJECT DOORSTOP, 20 November 2019

E&OE

Subjects: Gold Coast Light Rail project; infrastructure projects; drought infrastructure;

MARK BAILEY:

… popping literally here at Broadbeach light rail station with the agreement across all three levels to have Gold Coast Light Rail 3A fully funded and rolling from Broadbeach down to Burleigh. This is something that we've been working towards for quite some time and I'm just ecstatic as the Minister for Transport to stand here with the Deputy Prime Minister, with the Mayor of the Gold Coast and local MPs for this historic announcement for the Gold Coast. This is a $709 million injection into the Gold Coast's economy on top of more than a billion dollars’ worth of M1 upgrades underway, including also the interchange upgrades happening on the M1 there at exits 41 and 49. This is an infrastructure and jobs bonanza for the Gold Coast. It's a credit to all parties that have been working together. Can I thank the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who’s worked very hard with us to come to this agreement; also Mayor Tom Tate, who has been a big fan and a big supporter of light rail all the way. This is what we can achieve when we work together at all three levels of government.

As an old Gold Coast boy myself, born here, this is a really proud day to see this deal landed and it's a great credit and I know Gold Coast residents will be very, very happy to see this underway. It will be built by 2023. It's a three-year project. It's a huge project. But it is all go from today to get construction started as soon as possible and I look forward to doing that.

JOURNALIST:

When you say as soon as possible, does that mean earlier next year, possibly?

MARK BAILEY:

Well, we’ll be having meetings from today in terms of getting it going. We'll see early works in the first half of next year and we expect heavy construction to be started late next year. Because Gold Coast Highway will be open at all times as we build this, it'll be a gradual build to get it done. So it'll be a three-year build. Stage 2 of course was a greenfield site. We were able to get that done in 18 months. This is a bigger project with a live traffic environment throughout. So I thank people for their patience. We’ll do everything to minimise impacts. But it'll be something people will be happy to see.

Can I just hand over to the Deputy Prime Minister to say a few words? Thank you.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:

Well thank you, Mark. The end of the line used to be right on this platform where we stand now and where Mark Bailey, the Minister here in Queensland, where Tom Tate, the local mayor, and I were just popping champagne corks. And it is indeed a great day for the Gold Coast, a great day for Queensland, because the end of the line was here. There’s a dirty big stop sign just there which ended this line for commuters. Well, that line is now going to be extended all the way to Burleigh Heads. That line is going to be extended all the way down there, another 6.7 kilometres. And it's great to have been in partnership with the Queensland Government to make this day become a reality. Many Gold Coasters perhaps thought wrongly that this day would never happen but Mark and my offices have worked very closely together to make sure that this day became a reality.

I want to also commend the work that the Federal Member for Moncrieff, Angie Bell, has done to advocate for this project. These sorts of projects don't come without collaboration, without cooperation, and that's what we've seen today as the Prime Minister, and the Premier, Mark and I got together up in Brisbane to talk about the money for infrastructure that we are bringing forward, as well as the new federal money for Queensland, not just metropolitan Brisbane, but indeed the coast, and south east Queensland and perhaps, as from a regional perspective, country Queensland. Because we know, as a Federal Government, that when the regions are strong, so too was Queensland; and when Queensland is strong, so too is Australia. So that's why we, as the Federal Government, are investing so heavily into these projects, into this Gold Coast Light Rail project.

Stage 3A – $157 million dollars, taking our commitment, as a Federal Government, to $269 million because we know this is going to make the Gold Coast even more lovable. We know this is going to make the Gold Coast even more liveable. So, well done to all concerned. This is what you get when you get governments prepared to work together for the benefit of people.

And I’ll call on Tom Tate to make a few comments as well.

TOM TATE:

Thank you, Deputy PM and Minister and all the local state MPs. Today marks another beginning of a wonderful friendship between three tiers of government. When we have come together on this project we only had one track mind: all the way to Burleigh. What I say is it’s a celebration day. I can't stop smiling, and many Gold Coasters are going: well done for Federal Government and State Government. And it’s a good example when all three tiers of government come together. So, simply said, all aboard.

ANGIE BELL:

Thank you, Mayor. I’m delighted to be here today in the centre of the beating heart of Moncrieff. The Federal Government put forward $157 million extra dollars to make this happen and it’s very, very exciting for locals. Seven hundred and sixty jobs here on the central Gold Coast. It is a spectacular win for the Gold Coast and for Gold Coasters, who will be able to get home sooner and safer. And of course, for locals and tourists alike to ride the tram all the way from Helensvale to Burleigh, which is a stunning victory for the Gold Coast. So, we thank absolutely everybody here today for working together to make this happen for our locals.

MEAGHAN SCANLON:

Well, today is a really good day for the Gold Coast. Canberra has listened and provided extra funding for the Gold Coast Light Rail 3A to get to Burleigh, which is a huge benefit for not only locals but also tourists in our city. For southern Gold Coasters, there's also been money brought forward by the Federal Government for the upgrade from Varsity to Tugun. But for northern Gold Coasters, there’s also great news.

The Federal Government has agreed to match the Palaszczuk Government 50 per cent for exit 49 and 41 on the M1 which is big news for those motorists travelling north every day. There's an enormous amount of congestion there, and getting a grip across two levels of government for those vital M1 upgrades has been critically busting congestion with all those northern commuters. So great [indistinct].

JOURNALIST:

Minister, the State Government and the council have been on board for a while, but the Federal Government’s come on. What’s happened between- recently to get them on board?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:

He promised me champagne.

[Laughter]

MARK BAILEY:

And we delivered. We’ve had a lot of positive meetings over the last four to five months between our staff. Not just on this Light Rail project and the M1 interchange, but a whole range of infrastructure issues right across Queensland. So it's been a big dive into some big issues, but the outcome of it is thousands of jobs in infrastructure for the Gold Coast, and [inaudible]…

JOURNALIST:

There will be some [indistinct], I have to say, there’ll be some presumptions between here and Burleigh.

MARK BAILEY:

Yeah, look, fortunately with this project there’s only two land parcels in question. So they're well and truly in hand, there will be no hold ups whatsoever with this project. Most of the lands publicly owned.

JOURNALIST:

Can I ask you, Deputy Prime Minister, what was the catalyst for the federal government to finally jump on board, given it’s been going on for more than a year with the negotiations and discussions?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:

Well, Mark Bailey and my office work very close together, and these sorts of projects just can't happen overnight. They do take a lot of work, a lot of consideration, a lot of measured thought goes into it. That’s what we’ve done. Mark and I have worked very closely together, just like Anthony Lynham and I have worked very closely together on water infrastructure projects. I know Anthony’s up in Rookwood today to look at the enabling works that are going to make that project happen, and I know I'm delighted that he and I signed off in early August for the Emu Swamp Dam near Stanthorpe

When it comes to roads and rail, of course we want the best outcomes for Queenslanders, and Mark and I have worked very closely together in a spirit of collaboration. Whether it was the Warrego, the Cunningham, the Bruce Highway, the M1 motorway, the Gold Coast Light Rail - we're getting together and we’re making sure that we do the infrastructure, build the infrastructure not just for the here and now, but for the future for Queensland.

JOURNALIST:

While lobbying, the mayor was fairly critical of the federal MPs about their perceived lack of work in getting this project up and going, did his comments sway you to actually finally step up?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:

I didn’t see his comments actually. I didn’t, in all honesty. That’s okay. People want things to happen, and they want them to happen overnight, and it is not always possible to make sure that these things do happen overnight. I mean, Rome wasn't built in a day, nor was the Gold Coast. And what we're doing here today is an exciting announcement. What we're doing is we're going to build the Light Rail the Gold Coasters need, want, expect, and most of all deserve. But not just Gold Coasters, not just Queenslanders - everybody who visits here. And I know what a special place this is. I’ve holidayed here many, many times. And I’ve also visited Angie Bell at least three times since the election, because I know how committed she is to making sure that this region gets the infrastructure it deserves. I'm happy to work with Mark Bailey, happy to see things getting done, and that's what we're doing today.

JOURNALIST:

Probably question for Mark. Is the design going to change at all or significantly from what we've already seen?

MARK BAILEY:

Look, what we saw last year was the mayor Tom Tate and the Palaszczuk Government got the business guys going straight after the games. And we did a lot of public consultation around there to get this project right. The project is very close to its final form. We'll need to now have industry briefings before Christmas, and then we'll be looking at a tendering process. We'll be able to get going with early works in the first half of next year and then we'll be looking at [indistinct] works in the later part of 2020.

JOURNALIST:

Sure. So what might be the slight adjustments you might need to make?

MARK BAILEY:

Oh look, very, very minor issues involved. And most of the land is publicly owned. It’s- you know, inevitably very small issues come up you can deal with as you go. So- I don’t expect there to be any issues.

JOURNALIST:

What's the process with regards to the tender? Will they go out early part of next year to able [indistinct] you?

MARK BAILEY:

Yeah, look, we’ll be trying to get the tendering process done as quickly as we can. Unlike [indistinct] already been discussing this this morning. He is on the case to make sure this happens as quickly as we possibly can. And I'm sure there’s going to be a lot of interest from a construction company to make this happen as quickly as we can, because, look, they want to make a profit, they want to create jobs, and that’s what we want.

JOURNALIST:

And Mark, just really quickly on this Sunny Coast rail duplication. Have you got any timeframes for friends up there in the Sunshine Coast?

MARK BAILEY:

Look, an important part of this infrastructure agreement with the Federal Government today was an agreement about both of us digging into the Sunshine rail duplication. It’s $390 million worth of federal money, $160 million of state money, and the design work is well and truly under way for that project, and we are locked and loaded in agreement in terms of the amount of staging that project. As soon as some of the design work starts to complete, we’ll have a better picture about the timeframe. And let’s be very clear, it is absolutely [indistinct] lock, stock and barrel happening. Anybody who suggests otherwise is simply not being accurate.

JOURNALIST:

Do you have a response to those saying that it’s probably taken a little bit too long?

MARK BAILEY:

Look, previous governments of course did nothing on this, not even a business case. So under our first term of the Palaszczuk Government, we got the business case done within a short amount of time. We hooked up some infrastructure funding, we talked to the Federal Government, we are $550 million ahead of where we were, as well as a business case. So we haven’t delayed anything, we’ve actually got [inaudible]… Sunshine Coast residents should be absolutely ecstatic. [Indistinct] half a billion dollars committed by the Federal and State Governments to duplicate the rail line there and become [inaudible]… That’s going to be a fantastic outcome that they can [indistinct].

JOURNALIST:

So before the last election, you worked pretty closely with federal MPs on the Coast about not fighting hard enough for infrastructure on the Coast. Are you satisfied now?

TOM TATE:

All those [indistinct] [Laughter]. I’m very satisfied. And anytime we have an announcement and there’s historic change in our city, [indistinct] for this Government to come together. You know, human nature is a bit of argy bargy to get the best result, and we absolutely- it’s a triple win here, for the city, the Federal Government, and the state. Wonderful.

JOURNALIST:

Speaking of triple, can you confirm If your former Chief of Staff, Wayne Moran, is being investigated by the CCC?

TOM TATE:

Mate, I can’t comment on employees’ details. And on the CCC matter, I absolutely know no detail.

JOURNALIST:

So Mr Mayor, it must be a bit of a shock to yourself though that this has happened in the last 24 hours?

TOM TATE:

There’s always shock, because I didn’t know anything that’s going on. So from my point of view, presume innocence is our rule. So I might mention, justice will prevail. My attitude is that: am I being personally under the scrutiny by the CCC? Yeah, for about three years. There’s nothing there, so I don’t know.

JOURNALIST:

[Inaudible]… for you for almost eight years now. Are you sad that he won’t be beside you now?

TOM TATE:

I’m always sad when anyone departs mayor, [inaudible]… But at the moment, it has been hard, [inaudible]…

JOURNALIST:

He is stood down though? He is stood down?

TOM TATE:

Well, yes.

JOURNALIST:

Will you appoint him back in Chief of Staff?

TOM TATE:

No.

JOURNALIST:

Would Wayne be involved in your election campaign at all? Absolutely not? Have you spoken to him today?

TOM TATE:

Yes.

JOURNALIST:

How’s he feeling?

TOM TATE:

It’s hard, mate. But my thing is - you don’t- can’t run, do you? It’s not the Aussie way. Him and I have had emails to say not to talk to [indistinct].

JOURNALIST:

Can I ask a question to Deputy Prime Minister? Just a question for a friends up in Cairns. The Rookwood Weir, any more money from your side of things?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:

Well, we committed a $176.1 million when we stood at that Rookwood Weir in May 2018. And at the time, it was a 76,000 megalitre water storage facility. That was downgraded to 54,000 megalitres. I’ve had discussions with Anthony Lynham. My department has had discussions with the Queensland department. And we’ve reached a compromise where agriculture won’t miss out. It won't be the 76,000 megalitre storage capacity, but it will be very, very close.

And the main point is agriculture is certainly going to be a great beneficiary of what we will soon announce as far Rookwood Weir. I appreciate that Anthony Lynham is up there today, looking at enabling works. I want to build water infrastructure, whether it's in Queensland, wherever it is in Australia, we are committed to doing just that. We’ve put in place the national water grid. We've got the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund ready and waiting to give money to state governments to build dams. And if there's one thing that this drought has taught us, if there’s one thing that people are asking and demanding, it’s for us to build more dams. In New South Wales, we haven't built a dam, a major dam for 30 years. Well, we're getting on. We’re building Dungowan Dam, three and a half kilometres downstream from the 1958 water facility there that has served that community well. Wyangala Dam, well we're increasing the dam wall by 10 metres. Now that was completed in 1937 and that additional 10 metres will mean an additional 650 gigalitres of water. 16 of the last 20 dams in Australia were built in Tasmania. Tasmania, the state of the Franklin protests. So if Tasmania can do it, I can't see why the other states can't get on and just build the dams that people need, and want, and expect, and deserve.

Let's make sure that when the next drought occurs, when this one’s finished, which inevitably it will because Australia is the land of flooding rains and droughts, that we're prepared, and we've got the water infrastructure so we can capture that water and we can use it when the next dry spell occurs.

JOURNALIST:

Minister Bailey, I'll just grab you, please, on Smithfield Bypass for our friends in Cairns. There’s some concerns funding the Smithfield Bypass will fall short of what is needed. Is this the case? And if so, what is the Government looking at doing?

MARK BAILEY:

Look, not at all. The Smithfield Bypass is a significant project. It’s money of people promised before, but it’s the Palaszczuk Government that's actually building it, funding it, and delivering it. And it will mean much better roads [indistinct] to the north of Cairns. It will deal with a major bottleneck. In any major road project, there’s design issues as you go. I understand that's the case here. But Craig Crawford has been in touch with me. We will make sure that every issue that needs to be dealt with in this project, is dealt with. I can assure you of that.

Shane Manning