State Government offers Council further help on Hale St Project

The State Government will offer Brisbane City Council the chance to speed up the approvals process for a redesigned Hale St Bridge project.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Paul Lucas said Coordinator-General Colin Jensen had today delivered his report on the project following a two week analysis and discussions with Brisbane City Council, Main Roads and Queensland Transport.

“The State Government supports this bridge and we want to see it built,” Mr Lucas said.

"Council’s original plan would have meant 50 minute delays during peak periods twice a day for two whole years of construction. Motorists won’t accept that and neither should they.

“Brisbane motorists expect the State Government and council to work together to get the job done, and we’re suggesting a way forward that will see this project underway as soon as possible.

“I have accepted the Coordinator-General’s recommendation that council be offered his help to fast-track necessary approvals for council’s new proposal.

“As Minister I can declare this a ‘prescribed project’ which gives the Coordinator-General special powers to streamline approvals.

“Council did not request the State Government do this when they started this project but I am offering them the opportunity now to ensure we can work together to make this new river crossing a reality.

“I’d encourage the Lord Mayor to accept this offer and let the politicians stand aside so the experts can get to work.

“On any number of projects – the North South Bypass tunnel, the Inner Northern Busway extension, the Gateway Upgrade Project – council and the State Government have worked together to ensure vital infrastructure could be built without major delays.

“And there’s no reason we can’t work together the same way on this project.”

Mr Lucas said the Coordinator-General’s report found:

• For the full Hale Street Link project to proceed, with delays similar to those normally associated with road works on a major urban road instead of the 40-50 minute delays previously proposed would require a budget above the $245.5 million approved by Brisbane City Council in 2006.
• Council did not fully consider suggested traffic plan solutions from Main Roads because it apparently did not want to increase its $245.5 million budget for the project.
• Main Roads was not unreasonable with requests for a traffic management plan that did not impose extensive delays for motorists near the project and lesser delays across the wider road network.
• As well as seeking to change the design on the northern end of the bridge, council is seeking design changes to the southern end of the bridge.
• Users of the toll bridge may still gain similar benefits from a de-scoped project.
• It is not yet known whether motorists using the intersections on either side of the river will experience additional congestion as a result of the de-scoped project.

“The Coordinator-General has spent the last two weeks working with all parties to determine how a project that best benefits motorists could be delivered,” Mr Lucas said.

“The State Government is keen to work with the Lord Mayor to ensure any new proposal he wants to put forward is considered as quickly as possible.

“But there are still a number of issues that need to be cleared up.

“Council should provide information to motorists that details delays during construction of the revised project.

“It should also clarify what permanent impact an extra set of lights would have not just on Coronation Drive and Hale St traffic but also across the road network.”

Mr Lucas said motorists should also be told what cost savings would be delivered by scaling back the project on both sides of the river and whether those savings would be passed on as a reduced toll.

“It’s common sense that a major reduction in scope, such as the one council is proposing, should lead to lower construction costs,” Mr Lucas said.

“Motorists deserve to know whether they will save money on tolls with this scaled down project.

“The State Government took a responsible approach. We supported the original project and granted conditional tolling powers in May last year subject to council meeting some reasonable conditions, so council could get on with the job.

“But the traffic management plan they delivered to us in November – which included 50 minute peak-period delays each way, each day for two years – was not reasonable.

“The power to levy a toll granted by the state is not a rubber stamp and prior to granting approval to a significantly different project, we will need to have information available to the public about what these changes mean.

“Council has yet to provide the State Government with any formal designs or proposals on its scaled back project. As soon as they do, we will assess them.

“Make no mistake – we are committed to seeing the Hale Street bridge built but we will also ensure the public’s interest is protected.”

Media inquiries: Robert Hoge 0419 757 868.

The Coordinator-General found that:

• The State Government granted Brisbane City Council conditional approval to levy a toll on the bridge in May 2007, provided it lodged acceptable Traffic Management Plans for the construction and operating stages of the bridge.
• Although Brisbane City Council had raised the issue of major traffic delays from the Hale Street Link project as early as late September, the Traffic Management Plan (TMP) was not submitted to Main Roads for consideration until November 7, 2007.
• The TMP indicated additional delays of 50 minutes along Coronation Drive and 40 minutes along Milton Road during construction and also advised of lesser delays across the wider Brisbane road network.
• Main Roads was following accepted practices and not being unreasonable with their requests for a TMP that did not impose extensive delays for motorists near the project and lesser delays across the wider road network.
• For the full Hale Street Link project to proceed, with delays similar to those normally associated with road works on a major urban road instead of the 40-50 minute delays previously proposed would require a budget above the $245.5 million approved by council in 2006.
• BCC did not fully consider suggested traffic plan solutions from Main Roads because it apparently did not want to increase its $245.5 million budget for the project.
• As well as seeking to change the design on the northern end of the bridge to minimise major traffic impacts, BCC is seeking design changes to the southern end of the bridge which will also have to be investigated.
• BCC needs to prepare a project modification report clearly outlining the proposed changes to the project and the impacts on surrounding intersections.
• Users of the toll bridge may still gain similar benefits from a de-scoped project. BCC may also be able to build the downscaled project without major traffic delays and within its original budget. Any potential cost savings, benefits and impacts will not be known until the project is reassessed in March.
• That further analysis will determine if motorists using the intersections on either side of the river will experience additional congestion as a result of the de-scoped project.
• The project modification report should be provided to the State as a matter of priority so that it can assess the key measure of the conditional toll approval, namely an acceptable TMP and its implications on public transport.
• Were BCC to formally request it, the Deputy Premier could declare the Hale Street Link project a “prescribed project’ allowing the Coordinator-General to oversee a faster and more streamlined approval process.