Trad short-changed in MYFER with a $668 million cut to infrastructure funding
• Trad now overseeing a $3 billion reduction in capital spending over the next four years
• Deputy Premier’s infrastructure slush fund raided because of Building Queensland’s ineffectiveness
Infrastructure spending in Queensland continues to plummet under Queensland’s least effective infrastructure Minister – Deputy Premier Jackie Trad.
Ms Trad was short-changed yet again by her Premier and Treasurer in yesterday’s mid-year budget update, which detailed another $668 million cut to infrastructure spending.
Shadow Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said Ms Trad was now overseeing the smallest state infrastructure program in living memory.
“The Deputy Premier is great at delivering bureaucracies, but yesterday’s MYFER illustrated once again she is incapable of getting infrastructure projects off the ground,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The $1.45 billion** put aside to fund Building Queensland priority projects has been raided to the tune of $200 million because of the failures of Ms Trad and her new bureaucracy.
“Where’s the money for Cross River Rail, the Pacific Motorway between Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes, or the Cunningham Highway upgrade between Yamanto and Ebenezer Creek?
“These projects are listed as ready for government investment in Building Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline document – but this government again baulked at finding the funding to properly get these projects off the ground.
“What about funding for critical regional projects such as the Eastern Access Rail Corridor in Townsville or the Cairns Cruise Ship Terminal?”
Ms Frecklington said despite all of her supposed power and influence within government, Ms Trad had so far failed to deliver one new major infrastructure project for Queensland.
“All Ms Trad has delivered is glossy documents and more government bureaucracies – meanwhile, actual infrastructure spending continues to plummet on her watch,” she said.
“Ms Trad’s legacy is an almost $3 billion cut to capital spending over the forward years.
“The Deputy Premier needs to step up and start delivering – yet again this morning we’ve seen major traffic problems on the M1 and the Bruce Highway and this government has responded by cutting the state’s infrastructure budget even more.”
