MEDIA STATEMENT: Labor racked up more than $17 billion for Cross River Rail

Labor racked up more than $17 billion for Cross River Rail

• Cross River Rail will cost more than $17 billion – more than three times over budget.
• Completion date to blow out from 2025 now to 2029.
• Labor spread funding across multiple budget pools to hide the real cost of Cross River Rail.

The true cost of Cross River Rail is expected to exceed an astronomical $17 billion, in what could be Labor’s biggest act of deceit.

Labor promised Queenslanders that Cross River Rail would be delivered with a budget of $5.4 billion and a completion date of 2024.

The Crisafulli Government has uncovered the true cost of the rail project is likely to exceed $17 billion and may not be complete until 2029.

In Estimates earlier this year, then Transport Minister Bart Mellish stated, “the majority of construction on Cross River Rail is expected to be complete within 2025 and first passenger services are expected to commence in 2026.”

That timeline was never achievable and Labor knew it.

On construction completion, the tunnel must be independently certified by the National Rail Safety Regulator and this testing and commissioning phase takes at least two years to complete.

Further significant delays have been caused by more than 140 lost workdays this year due to industrial action under Labor’s Best Practice Industry Conditions.

Labor has spent years hiding the real cost by spreading it across multiple separate budget line items.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg said the former Labor Government should hang their heads in shame.

“The deceit is hard to swallow. They’d been fudging the numbers for years and selling a story to Queenslanders that was simply untrue,” Minister Mickelberg said.

“$17 billion is a mind-blowing figure, and one that taxpayers should have been told.

“Imagine what that kind of money could have bought Queenslanders. Imagine the hospitals, schools, houses, and roads it could build.

“The former Transport Minister has been telling Queenslanders up until a few months ago that Cross River Rail passenger trains will be operating in 2026, when that was never going to be the case.

“The Crisafulli Government made a commitment to be open and transparent with Queenslanders and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

“We will continue to negotiate with Cross River Rail contractors to ensure that we get the best possible outcome for taxpayers.

“We said before the election that State contracts will be honoured, and we expect contractors to honour their contracts as well.

“No more Labor lies. The Crisafulli Government is delivering the Fresh Start for Queenslanders.”

Costing fast facts:

• The cost alone of building the tunnel and maintaining it has blown out from $5.4 billion to more than $10.5 billion.
• An additional $5 billion was hidden by Labor to fund integration works connecting the tunnel with the existing rail network, stabling to park the trains, a new signaling system, buses to carry passengers while stations and tracks are being built, and additional maintenance equipment.
• At least another $1.5 billion due to the project running late and contractor claims. Negotiations are ongoing.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Sophie Cassidy 0484 620 899