Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Following the disappointing election announcement by the Queensland Labor government that they would not fund an upgrade to the Lindum level crossing, I have been working directly with Councillor Lisa Atwood and the Brisbane City Council to find an alternative solution. As a result, I will be bypassing the Queensland government and working directly with the Brisbane City Council to deliver the Lindum corridor road upgrade. In 2018, I delivered $85 million towards upgrading the Lindum level crossing. The Brisbane City Council committed $40 million, subject to the Queensland government coming to the party. We cannot let the lack of state funding prevent this vital safety upgrade from getting underway. While the jointly funded federal and state Lindum Station Precinct Study was conducted to help deliver an all-government solution, we cannot sit back any longer and watch other level crossings, like Coopers Plains, receive $66 million in state funding while Lindum level crossing gets zero. Given the Queensland Labor government's decision to ignore the state asset, I've been working with Councillor Atwood and the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Alan Tudge, to workshop a solution. As a result, we will be redirecting our $85 million funding away from the state government and delivering it directly to the Brisbane City Council so they can begin the upgrades to the Lindum road corridor. During the Treasurer's budget speech he warned the states, 'If you don't use it, you'll lose it,' and the Queensland Labor government has not only lost this federal funding— (Time expired)