Rhys Bosley Independent Candidate for Algester – 2024
Salisbury to Hillcrest Passenger Rail Line by 2032 essential for Algester electorate business and residents
Rhys Bosley, Independent Candidate for Algester at the Queensland election, is calling for completion of the Salisbury to Hillcrest section of the Salisbury to Beaudesert Passenger Rail line by 2032.
“Completion of a passenger rail line from Salisbury to Hillcrest by the 2032 Olympics, is a non-negotiable commitment that a new Queensland Government would need to make, to win my support in a hung parliament”, Mr Bosley said.
He said the construction of the Salisbury to Hillcrest section of the Salisbury to Beaudesert line cannot wait to start in the mid-2030s, as announced in the Queensland Government’s recently released Business Case Summary.
“Algester electorate’s roads are clogged now, the mid 2030s is too late for this rail line. The current member for Algester, Leeanne Enoch, has failed to effectively advocate to deliver this critical piece of transport infrastructure when it is needed,” Mr Bosley said. “The warm glow of 50 cent fares will wear off pretty quickly for those stuck on an overcrowded bus in traffic”.
Mr Bosley is an Infrastructure Professional who has worked on multi-billion dollar transport business cases and has tertiary qualifications in economics, finance and project management.
Mr Bosley said, “No sooner have the Queensland and Australian Governments announced that they will not be starting this project until the mid-2030s, than they commit to a new study to build an extension of the Gateway Motorway between Browns Plains and Park Ridge. This would presumably be a toll road like the rest of the Gateway and would service areas of Logan such as Park Ridge, Flagstone and Yarrabilba, which would eventually benefit from the Salisbury to Beaudesert Rail if it was extended beyond Hillcrest”.
“I suspect the Government has put the Salisbury to Beaudesert line on ice, only committing to corridor preservation to ensure that there is no competition for the toll road, which would presumably be a public/private partnership like the rest of the Gateway”, Mr Bosley said.
“A toll road is not the priority for our region, a passenger rail line is”.
“The Algester electorate has experienced dramatic housing and industrial growth. Failure to provide the Salisbury to Hillcrest Line, will reduce the value of the investments that business has made in our region and the attractiveness to future investors”, Mr Bosley said.
“We dramatically need to improve business productivity in Queensland. There is nothing less productive than workers and commercial vehicles being stuck long periods in traffic”.
“The Salisbury to Hillcrest line would dramatically improve the quality of life and employment options for Algester electorate residents, as well as reducing transport emissions”.
