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A long-awaited rail line connecting the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and Brisbane is a step closer to construction as the Queensland government commits almost $3 billion towards the first stage of the project.
Deputy Premier Cameron Dick on Sunday announced $2.75 billion towards building a 19km dual track from Beerwah to Caloundra, the first stage of the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail project.
The state government said the first stage could be completed by the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and was estimated to make the commute from Caloundra to Brisbane 45 minutes faster than driving during peak hours — which Mr Dick said "will bust congestion" on local roads.
Construction would not begin until 2026 and was contingent on the federal government matching the state's funding.
Previously, the Commonwealth had only committed $1.6 billion towards the project.
But the state's Opposition deputy leader Jarrod Bleijie said Sunday's announcement was a "cut" to the Sunshine Coast rail project, and the LNP would not support it unless Beerwah connected to Maroochydore by 2032.
The government's business case estimated the first stage would cost between $5.5 billion and $7 billion, with state government confirming it had now provided that case to Infrastructure Australia.
The second and third stage of the project would ultimately connect further north, with Mr Dick dubbing it a "mega project" and the "biggest rail project in Queensland for a generation".
"This is the biggest passenger spur line ever built by the Queensland government," Mr Dick said.
"We are very confident of the federal government's support for this project, but obviously they've got to go through their budget processes [before committing]."
Mr Bleijie criticised the state government for not delivering the entire rail line to Maroochydore in time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"Under an LNP government, this project would have already started, but under Labor, 10 years of Labor power … the project is now cut," Mr Bleijie said.
"You can't have a half-baked program on the Sunshine Coast, it has to be to Maroochydore, and it has to be to Maroochydore before the 2032 Olympic Games."
'Serious concerns' ahead of Olympics
Rail Back on Track spokesperson Jeffrey Addison welcomed the funding for the rail line but said the increase of costs and further potential delays were serious concerns.
Mr Addison said given a rail line to Maroochydore was announced by former premier Peter Beattie in 2005, the project was now costing substantially more than the initial estimate "because of government inaction".
"It's probably going to be a bit of a national embarrassment that the government that's going to run the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is only running a rail line that stops 20 kilometres short of the athletes village in Maroochydore, the events at Alexandra Headlands, [and more]," Mr Addison said.
"It doesn't even make it to Kawana. I thought perhaps [the government] might stretch it through to Birtinya where there are going to be, I believe, [Olympic] basketball events, but it's not even getting that far.
"That's in the second stage of this project. So yes, look, there are serious concerns."
Faster rail, more jobs and homes promised
The finished product will stop at Aroona, Birtinya, Mountain Creek and Maroochydore. The Birtinya and Maroochydore section would benefit from "faster rail", with trains able to reach speeds of 140kph on some sections.
It's expected to unlock more housing possibilities and job opportunities for one of Queensland's fastest-growing regions, with the Sunshine Coast population forecast to house 600,000 residents by 2046.
The first stage of the rail project has been based on modelling that showed most of that population growth would be concentrated around Caloundra South (Aura).
Mr Mellish said the rail line would "dramatically increase public transport use" in the country's "largest urban area that doesn't have a direct rail connection".
"The Sunshine Coast has the second-highest car ownership of anywhere in Australia, it's clear that public transport has been lacking [there]," Mr Mellish said.
Total cost dependant on 'inflationary' market
Mr Mellish conceded the state government had committed half of the estimated cost of the project's first stage, but the cost of the line going further north would be dictated by the current "very inflationary construction market".
"We'll be seeing what the market comes back with, and what $5.5 billion can do [for] us beyond Caloundra," he said.
"We want to deliver what we can … with the Olympics coming up."