‘Where are our nine extra train services, as promised?’: Marty Hunt

Member for Nicklin Marty Hunt ... “Promises were made about nine extra services and now the promises have been broken despite the noisy facility being operational.”

FIVE years after forcing a stabling facility on the Woombye community, the State Government needed to deliver a promised 9 extra services, according to Member for Nicklin Marty Hunt.

Mr Hunt said the community’s ongoing fears about noise and light spillage were now being realised.  “Jackie Trad, as former transport Minister, basically came to a community meeting in 2015 and told Woombye residents that they were getting the stabling facility regardless of community concerns,” Mr Hunt said. 

“Promises were made about nine extra services and now the promises have been broken, despite the noisy facility being operational. I have had several people now contact my office unable to sleep or keep their windows open for air at night.  It’s just not fair for Woombye.”

Local resident James Kasmer has been involved in the community protest against the facility when it was first mooted in 2014 and remembers the promises made at the time.  “It was apparent in early 2015 they were determined not to look at other options. It had to be Woombye,” he said. 

“We were told the benefits of Rail Stabling in Woombye would be nine additional daily services. This was promised by Peter Wellington and Jackie Trad, and not the Newman Government, to my face and to others in public,” he said

Mr Hunt said his questions in parliament to Transport Minister Mark Bailey were met with “a diatribe of political spin”.

He called on the Minister to come to Woombye and hear community concerns. 

“They were very keen to come and tell us what we were getting — whether we liked it or not. But now that operations have started — promises broken about extra services and community fears about noise being realised — we need to see the Minister come and listen to community concerns,” he said.

Spokesperson for “Rail Back on Track” Jeff Addison said the community was frustrated.  “Once again, like the promises of the past, this government has broken their word,” he said.

“Integrity, ethics and honesty clearly mean nothing to this callous, spiteful government who delight in trumpeting actions and selfies on Gold Coast trains whilst spurning us on the massively growing Sunshine Coast. No Ministerial selfies occur on our degraded services and single-track line,” he said

To sign a petition calling on the Minister to deliver the promised extra services go to www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2020/320-2020.pdf

Statement from the minister 

from Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey

The Palaszczuk Government has introduced new services on the Sunshine Coast line and is planning more as we get ready to build the Coast’s largest rail project: the $550 million Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade.

The Palaszczuk Government started and completed the business case after Sunshine Coast rail was ignored by the previous LNP government and we’ve been successful securing joint funding from the Federal Government to build it which is great news for commuters.

Early works are already underway over the past 12 months and more activity will ramp up in the coming months. Mr Hunt deliberately ignores his LNP’s colossal failures in a convenient case of railway amnesia.

His LNP cut more than $600 million in transport funding, cut the critical Cross River Rail project, ordered new trains that were not disability compliant as well sacking a third of TMR’s staff and 1,700 Queensland Rail staff. 

It’s only the Palaszczuk Government’s investment in the Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade and Cross River Rail that will allow more trains to run more often.

Queensland Rail staff will be out on-site this week to look into and address concerns that have been raised, and have also offered to meet with Woombye residents.

The LNP’s three-year crusade of cutting services, sacking workers and selling public assets added years to the delivery of major infrastructure across the state, including the Sunshine Coast Rail Duplication.

It’s also disappointing to see Mr Addison abandon the impartial approach to commuter advocacy by Rail Back on Track by co-authoring the LNP’s media release full of predictable political spin.