The Brisbane Cross River Rail Project is likely to be a key battleground in the forthcoming election for the Queensland State Parliament.
The Labor Party is fully committed to the project and whilst still in power, has already commenced the procurement process for the main works and awarded an enabling package. The LNP have yet to officially commit one way or another but have been lukewarm in their support to date and have suggested that the money may be better spent on other infrastructure projects.
One Nation, who may hold the balance of power in a hung parliament, have come out strongly against Cross River Rail.
Business Case
The recently released business case for the project largely focuses, as one would expect, on the more tangible benefits that Cross River Rail will bring such as increased network capacity, more frequent trains, shorter journey times and connectivity to the new Queen’s Wharf Casino. Whilst there is some discussion in the document about the transformative effect of the project on the areas immediately surrounding the proposed new / upgraded stations there is little mention of the importance of Cross River Rail to the viability of other planned city defining projects.
As I will explain below, Cross River Rail could be the first domino in a chain of significant projects that will have a far bigger impact on the economy and liveability of Brisbane than the rail project alone.
2nd Domino – The Brisbane Metro
Brisbane City Council’s metro project is essentially a high frequency, high capacity bus service that is planned to have two lines, mostly utilising the existing busway network:
- Metro 1 – Eight Mile Plains busway station to Roma Street busway station
- Metro 2 – RBWH station to UQ Lakes busway station
These lines will act as the main arterial routes into the city with regular bus interchanges providing hubs for local bus traffic, thus reducing the number of buses required to enter the congested city centre. Both of the metro lines would connect to Roma Street station and interface with Cross River Rail, allowing passengers from one to transfer easily to the other.
If Cross River Rail does not proceed, it is difficult to see how the metro project can progress in it’s current form given that the existing Roma Street bus station is small and congested with limited opportunities for expansion within the confines of the current Roma Street Transit Centre (The Transit Centre is planned to be redeveloped as part of the Cross River Rail Project).
The metro project itself is key to solving the notorious traffic bottleneck that is the Victoria Bridge, where buses regularly queue back all the way to the Queens St Bus Station.
3rd Domino – Expanded Southbank
By moving the Cultural Centre bus station underground and removing car traffic, the bridge could be transformed, access to Southbank greatly improved and a new public space created in the cultural precinct that links into the potential future expansion of Southbank onto the site of the existing Parmalat factory as well as other enhancements to the existing parkland area set out in the Vision South bank blueprint published recently by Business Southbank.
The redevelopment of the Brisbane Transit Centre is also a vital element of the Brisbane Live market led proposal to develop a 17,000 seat indoor arena, similar to Madison Square Garden in New York, over the Roma Street Rail Yards, to host sporting events and concerts.
4th Domino – Brisbane Live
Brisbane Live will be reliant on having good transport connections and as shown in the artist’s impression above, the proposal includes for the redevelopment of the Transit Centre into hotels and residential towers. It is inconceivable that the transit Centre could be redeveloped without taking into account both Cross River Rail and the Metro.
5th Domino – Boondall Entertainment Centre
If Brisbane Live progresses there won’t be much need for the unloved Entertainment Centre at Boondall. This large site, being next to an upgraded six lane Gateway motorway, has huge potential for development (residential / commercial ) with the money from the sale of the land providing a much needed boost to the State coffers.
So there is more riding on Cross River Rail than just a tunnel, a few new stations and the outcome of the next State Election – important as they all are.
Never have the stakes surrounding a game of dominoes been so high and a casino so interested in the outcome!