Media Tuesday 4 March

State plans for Ipswich CBD and public transport interchange

Monday's announcement by the Premier, Anna Bligh, of plans by the State to take control of planning in Ipswich's CBD has been welcomed by the community transport group, Community Action for Sustainable Transport [CAST].

CAST supports the move to upgrade the railway station and bus interchange.

The existing station and interchange are failing to properly cater for the increasing demand for public transport services by the Ipswich community.

The need for better quality facilities and services for commuters has been apparent for the last five years following the explosive growth in housing and workplaces in surrounding suburbs.

CAST particularly supports the intention to construct office space to house up to 1200 State
Government workers.

We have regularly urged the State to relocate many of its Government departments from Brisbane's

CBD to suburban hubs and regional growth areas like Ipswich and Cleveland, said CAST president David White.

The benefits to the community generally and to the State of decentralising its workplaces and services include substantial cost savings from reduced travelling times, and significant reductions in demands for new and costly infrastructure to cope with transport congestion caused by local workers and families having to travel long distances every day during peak hours.

The State now needs to take action to complete the Darra to Springfield line and all associated stations by 2011, and to fast-track construction of the connection between Springfield and Ipswich.

This will be essential if the new workers in the Ipswich CBD are to have fast and efficient access to their workplaces.

We do however believe that the intention to introduce a private investor to construct the new centre has the potential to increase the cost of the project unnecessarily. The State's record of success using public-private partnerships is not good.

Contact David White: 0403 871 082