All aboard the Sceptical Express: Doubts over latest rail announcement
Column by Jeffrey Addison Sunshine Coast Commuter Advocate
I welcome the state government commitment of $2.75 billion towards the DSCL (Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line).
I won’t be counting carriages yet, due to the similarities between this announcement and the former Sunshine Coast B2N rail announcement of 9 June 2018 – and history.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” said George Santayana in 1905.
Promises, promises
On the Sunshine Coast, we literally are, doing just that.
1. Both rail projects have been promised twice, B2N in August 2005 and June 2018 – DSCL in April 2005 and February 2024.
2. Both announcements were made on a weekend, B2N on a Saturday and DSCL on a Sunday.
3. Both require more federal funding.
4. Both have been cut back from their originally proposed destinations.
5. Both have no money for future stages.
6. B2N was $298 million in 2005 (17km), $780 million in 2018 (17km) – then cut back to $550.8 million (13km)
7. The Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line (DSCL) or CAMCOS was $1 billion in 2005 (40km) and $5.5 billion in 2024 (19km)
To summarise, we were promised rail to Landsborough by 2012, to Caloundra by 2015, to Maroochydore by 2020, and to Nambour by 2020 – and none of it came true.
Why would we believe this latest announcement when the runs on the board are all ducks?
The state is asking the Feds for an extra $1.1 billion, to add to the $1.6 billion already on offer. As part of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games funding model it is eligible for a 50-50 funding split, the problem, however, is that the rail line no longer gets near any Olympic venues, with the closest venue at Kawana, being some eight kilometres away.
The fact that the funded line will end in the seat of Caloundra will bring joy to MP, Jason Hunt who hopes to retain the seat on 26 October.
But it brings little joy for first-time Nicklin MP, near Nambour, Rob Skelton. His rail link still hasn’t started almost six years after it was announced.
Nine extra trains?
Woombye residents were promised nine extra trains at the local bowls club in May 2015, as reparations for the rail stabling facility – only to have the state renege on that commitment, with palpable silence from their elected representative. Today, 23 percent of the Coast’s 325 weekly trains are still 75 buses running between Nambour and Caboolture.
B2N’s heavy rail has languished since it was announced GO by Jackie Trad and Mark Bailey at Nambour railway station in June 2018. It became two stages after the state refused to pay more than 20 percent of the original $780 million cost to Landsborough.
The state’s small $160.8 million contribution ensured it was never enough. That [then] $230 million shortfall on B2N remains today. The feds contributed 50 percent, being $390 million. B2N subsequently got cut back 4km to Beerwah and 1350 carparks disappeared out of the 2000 promised.
The DSCL business case reportedly has a cost range of $5.5 billion, up to $7 billion, for 19km of duplicated track to Caloundra. I call on the state government to release the business case, in the public interest and for transparency. It is currently with Infrastructure Australia for assessment.
We will have an eight kilometre transport gap between Caloundra and Birtinya if the rail gets to Caloundra and the Sunshine Coast Council’s Rapid Bus Transit (BRT) gets to Birtinya, in time for 2032, and the BRT has no construction funding at this time.
Does anyone know what the transport gap plan will be?
The DSCL [CAMCOS] project was originally announced by the Beattie government on Thursday 28 April 2005, to go from Beerwah to Maroochydore, for $1 billion. Its announcement was listed in the Seven Years of the Beattie Government - Building a Better Queensland document, p55, tabled on 9 June 2005.
“By 2014-15 a new passenger rail line will be constructed to Caloundra with a further extension to Maroochydore by 2020.”
Fast forward almost 19 years later and here we go … again.
I’d love to believe it will happen this time – but history and government inaction to date - teaches me it may not.
It’s deja vu.