National Party Withdraw Support for Gold Coast Rapid Transit

Minister for Transport, John Mickel has this morning expressed his disappointment that the National Party have withdrawn their support for the Gold Coast Rapid Transit.

“I am deeply concerned to hear that the National Party has pulled the plug on support for the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project,” Mr Mickel said.

“This is a betrayal of the people of the Gold Coast. It is a stab in the heart for the public transport needs of the Gold Coast and for those set to benefit from the thousands of jobs this project will create.

“It is also stab in the back for those people who have been working so hard towards getting this project off the ground.

“The project is on the runway, building speed for take-off – and now suddenly, the National Party announce they want to shut down the engines.

“There is now a very clear difference between where the Government and the Opposition stand on the project. The Government supports it 100 per cent. The Opposition is backtracking and back-pedalling and withdrawing its support.

“This is precisely what we don’t need right at this point in the project’s delivery when we are trying to attract investor support. We can do without this doubt and equivocation that the National Party has injected.

“Just to complicate the issue further, the Opposition is split and divided – The Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek is supporting it, and the party’s shadow minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Fiona Simpson, pulling the rug from under it while the party’s Southport candidate Tania Wright is reportedly calling the shots on what strategy the National Party is pursuing.

“The real question is: where is the Opposition Leader Mr Springborg on this issue?”Mr Mickel said.

The Gold Coast Rapid Transit project continues to progress with the project business case is likely to be finalised for submission to government in the next few months.

The project was recently listed as a top ten priority project in the Queensland Government's submission for funding from the Infrastructure Australia Building Australia fund.

Mr Mickel said the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project will deliver a number of significant benefits to the local community.

“This project will create close to 2,500 direct and indirect jobs during construction,” Mr Mickel said.

“It will support the city's biggest industries including the tourism, construction and retail sectors while also supporting key emerging industries including the health, education, marine and sporting sectors.

“It is expected to take up to 40,000 cars a day off the congested coastal strip by 2016.

“The project will bring economic benefits to the community exceeding $1.3 billion so why have the National Party withdrawn their support?” Mr Mickel said.

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