THE Townsville Port’s expansion has become a political football with both major parties blaming the other for a $75 million shortfall to widen the channel.
The Queensland Labor Government has committed $75 million to the project and has requested that the Federal Liberal Government match the amount.
State Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said Federal Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher had stated the Turnbull Government wouldn’t be kicking in their share which had put the project under threat.
“The Port of Townsville Channel Widening Project is a fundamental part of the economic future of Townsville and North Queensland as well as the Townsville City Deal,” Mr Bailey said.
“Unless the channel into Townsville Port is widened, more and more of the increasingly common larger ships will simply bypass Townsville for Brisbane adding to the cost of many goods for all North Queenslanders.”
But LNP State Infrastructure spokesman Andrew Powell said Federal funding was available for the project under the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility.
He claimed all Labor needed to do to secure the funds was to “fill out simple paperwork.”
“The funding is available through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, all Labor need to do is ask for it,” Mr Powell said.
“The question for Annastacia Palaszczuk is, has her Labor Government applied for NAIF funding?
“It’s also clear disgraced Minister Mark Bailey prefers to play politics instead of doing his job.”
But Mr Bailey said he was yet to see any funding from the Turnbull Government for the Port and any offer of a loan is a kick in the teeth to the very successful operators of the facility.
“The Federal Government hasn’t even responded to a letter we wrote to them two months ago asking them to commit to the future of Townsville Port,” Mr Bailey said.
“The NAIF has not delivered a single dollar to Queensland infrastructure in its three years of operation and is only a loan facility, not a capital fund.
Mr Bailey said the Palaszczuk Government made a $75 million commitment in June last year to get on with the Channel Widening project and Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten pledged to match the funding if elected.
Mr Powell hit back, saying freight in the north had been left behind by Labor’s refusal to stump up their share for the Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor (TEARC) project.
“It’s been more than 18 months since the Turnbull Coalition Government committed $150 million to upgrade Townsville’s rail access to the port but Annastacia Palaszczuk had not matched the commitment,” he said.
“It’s a bit rich for Palaszczuk and Labor to cry poor while ignoring $150 million for the rail line to the port.”
