TransApex

TransApex is transport plan devised by Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman as the Liberal candidate in the 2004 local government election in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Like many modern cities Brisbane is experiencing increasing traffic congestion during peak hours (morning 7-9 am and afternoon 5-6 pm.)

TransApex has been said by Newman to be the biggest urban road project proposed in Australia.

Newman originally proposed a system of five tunnels that would be funded by a combination of a maximum toll of $2 and a $1 billion contribution from Federal, State and City governments. The project was said to be "full costed" by Newman's financial adviser David Graham in the Courier Mail prior to the election and was said to cost no more than $3.2 billion in total for the first four tunnels, plus an additional $800 million for the duplication of Kingsford Smith Drive. It was stated in the Courier Mail by Newman that if needed that Brisbane City Council could build his 5 tunnels without any contribution from any other government. Newman promised that the first four of these tunnels would be delivered within 10 years of his obtaining office in 2004, and the final tunnel no later than five years after.

Since the 2004 election Newman has changed his plans considerably. It now consists of four tunnels and one bridge linking various parts of the city. The Kingsford Smith Drive Tunnel has been abandoned, and a tunnel linking the end of the North South Bypass Tunnel to the Brisbane Airport is planned instead. There has already been a major cost blowout in the TransApex project and construction has only commenced on the NSBT to date. With the NSBT tunnel alone costing more than $3 billion. it is unlikely that all five segments of TransApex can be built for the promised $4 billion. This massive blowout calls into question all of Mr Newman's pre-election costings.

Support for TransApex is far from universal and Brisbane City Council has struggled to gain financial support for any of the projects from the Queensland and federal governments, particularly with regard to the latter two described below.

TransApex projects

North-South Bypass Tunnel

"Main article: North-South Bypass Tunnel"

This tunnel is the largest project and will commence construction in 2006 after the Royal Queensland Show in August. It will link Woolloongabba to Bowen Hills via Kangaroo Point under the Story Bridge.

This tunnel was originally devised by then Lord Mayor Jim Soorley (Labor) in 2001. Soorley's original plan included a "Phase 2" and "Phase 3" of construction which has subsequently become Newman's Airport Link.

This project is being delivered as a Public Private Partnership or PPP. The successful tenderer for the project was announced on 27 April 2006 by Newman, with the RiverCity Motorway consortium winning in favour of the BrisConnections bid. Full details of both bids have not been publicly released. Newman has refused to release the details of the losing bidder, despite giving assurances to the public that he would in April 2006.

Shares in RiverCity Motorway have steadily lost value during 2008 with prices dropping from about 70 cents in February to 27 cents in June [http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/CompanyInfoSearchResults.jsp?searchBy=asxCode&allinfo=on&asxCode=RCY#chart] . With rising oil prices affecting both construction costs and trends in urban transport use the future for the consortium is unclear.

Tolls for this tunnel have been set at $3.30 in 2004 dollars, which is estimated to be approximately $4.10 (subject to change due to actual inflationary outcomes) in 2011 dollars - when the tunnel is expected to commence operations. This is more than twice the toll as originally promised by Newman.

The cost of the construction of this tunnel segment alone is reported to be more than $3 billion in total (including private sector contribution, Council contribution and sunk costs) as opposed to the original estimate of $900 million and seriously calls into question Newman's pre-election financial costings. The Brisbane City Council will be required to make a contribution of $503 million to the private developers of the tunnel in 2010, as well as spending more than $260 million in associated council works, purchasing land and other sunk costs before even a single car drives through the tunnel.

Newman has quoted as saying this could be a $3 billion "plus" project when completed, so final costs are not yet known.

Airport Link

"Main article: Airport Link"

This project is not part of the TransApex plans as proposed by Newman. It has replaced the original TransApex tunnel under Kingsford Smith Drive as proposed by Newman. After obtaining office Newman commissioned a feasibility study which rejected his Kingsford Smith Tunnel in favour of the Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the original North South Bypass Tunnel plan presented to Brisbane City Council by Mr Soorley.

This tunnel wil be built in conjunction with the Northern Busway and will link the CBD and the North-South Bypass Tunnel to the Brisbane Airport via Kedron. The Airport Link Project will delivered as a PPP project, with tenders due to close in December 2007.

The Queensland State Government will manage the procurement of the project with support from Brisbane City Council. The State has committed to providing partial funding for the project.

Toll and construction costs are yet to be released but as with the North South Bypass Tunnel the toll is expected to be in excess of $4.10 each way.

The Southeast Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program estimates the project cost as $3.4 billion [http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/resources/plan/SEQIPP/SEQIPP_partb_transport.pdf] which is more than double the original estimate.

Traffic increases resulting from Airport Link will lead to major increases in congestion on roads in North Brisbane including Gympie Road, Stafford Road and the Inner City Bypass [http://www.notunnels.net/files/AL%20EIS%20Traffic%20Data.pdf] .

As reported in the Australian Financial Review ('Toll-road punters go into reverse' 1.8.08 p.76 by Alan Jury) 11% of shares in BrisConnections (the consortium responsible for Airport Link) were dumped when the company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. According to the AFR, units bought at $1 were sold at 41c.

Hale Street Link (toll bridge)

"Main article: Hale Street Link"

This was originally proposed as a tunnel, but after obtaining office Newman commissioned a feasibility study which rejected this link being constructed as a tunnel. It has consequently been changed to a bridge for economic and engineering reasons.

This bridge is proposed to connect the Inner City Bypass with Merivale and Cordelia Streets in South Brisbane. The bridge will be to the west of the existing William Jolly Bridge.

There has been considerable controversy over whether or not existing roadspace on the William Jolly Bridge will be closed in order to funnel traffic onto the Hale Street Bridge to make it viable. There has also been considerable protest against the Bridge by residents of the West End and South Brisbane, especially those connected with Brisbane State High School. Significant "remediation" works are planned to mimimise the impact on South Brisbane residents. These impact minimisation projects were opposed by the council's Liberal minority, including Newman, but were passed by the Labor majority. [council minutes, 14 Nov 2006]

The cost of building this bridge will be in excess of $307 million [http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/resources/plan/SEQIPP/SEQIPP_partb_transport.pdf] (pre-feasibility estimates in 2004 were $120 million). The toll is likely to be in the $2.30 range which is the lowest of all TransApex segments (but still 15% higher than Newman's election promise.) Council has decided that the toll will only be in place long enough to pay off the construction of the bridge. Newman has indicated that even though the council has made this decision, that this would not stop a future council (including one lead by him) from extending the length and cost of the toll.

Traffic and congestion increases resulting from the bridge will be far greater than if the bridge were not built and are fully outlined in Council's own Impact Assessment Statement [http://www.ghd.com.au/HaleStreet_Link/draftias/Downloads%20Part%20One.htm] . In south Brisbane traffic on Cordelia, Merivale and Vulture Streets will be far greater as a result of the bridge than compared with a "no bridge" option [http://www.notunnels.net/files/HaleSt28July08Bligh.pdf] .

Council has decided that this bridge will be built as council project but Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is under pressure to refuse Council tolling powers to the bridge due to its major negative impacts.

Northern Link

"Main article: Northern Link"

This tunnel is intended to link the M5 Western Freeway at the Toowong roundabout to the M3 Inner City Bypass near the Normanby Fiveways.

Feasibility studies for this project will commence in Q3 2007, after the Liberal Mayor received approval from the Labor majority in council. Initial reports have speculated that the toll would be (2007 dollars) AU$3.70. This toll will be more than twice the $2.00 toll as promised by Mr Newman when the tunnel is eventually open.

Kevin Rudd committed $500 million to this project in the 2007 election.

In a "Financial Blueprint" released by Newman on 13 Feb 2007 it was stated that Council could finance this project for $933 million without any contribution from the Commonwealth or Queensland State Government.

In May 2008, Brisbane City Council released the proposed route. [cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/21/2251598.htm|title= Council shifts Northern Link tunnel route|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-06-17] [http://www.northernlinkeis.com.au/ Northern Link]

East-West Link

"Main article: East-West Link"

This tunnel is proposed to link the Western Freeway at the Toowong roundabout to the Pacific Motorway at Buranda.

After obtaining office Newman commissioned a feasibility study which strongly recommended that this project not be commenced in the near future.

This tunnel is not expected to be commenced until at least after 2026 (if at all) and does not appear in the Queensland State Government South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program running to 2026.

Toll and construction costs and whether this project will be a PPP have not been released.

References

External links

* [http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_1783 BCC TransApex project page]

* [http://www.notunnels.net/ Communities Against The Tunnels (lobby group opposed to car tunnels in Brisbane)]

* [http://www.rag.org.au/tunnel/default.htm Rivermouth Action Group (lobby group opposed to tunnelling in Brisbane)]

* [http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/41156/20040329/www.newman.liberal.org.au/pdf/Moving%20Brisbane.pdf copy of Campbell Newman's election policy "Moving Brisbane" which contains TransApex.]

* [http://www.northernlinkeis.com.au/ Northern Link project page]