POPULAR WORDS

Queensland Transport Minister Steve Bredhauer today conceded that the proposed Tugun bypass might be a toll road. Under questioning from Deputy Opposition Leader Vaughan Johnson in Parliament today, Bredhauer admitted that a toll road is "under consideration because the Commonwealth is interested in exploring opportunities for tolls ... as part of its contribution to roads of national importance, which the Tugun bypass would be". "So, we are exploring private and public partnerships in respect of the Tugun bypass. We are exploring the issue of tolls. We are doing that in co-operation with the Commonwealth." Vaughan argues the consideration of a toll has been forced by a huge blow-out in the project's costs. He notes that in last year's Roads Implementation Program (RIP) the Tugun Bypass's cost was shown as $157 million, up from $80 million two years prior. "But this year the Minister has only included a state contribution of $55 million. When matched with the Commonwealth's contribution, this means that the Beattie government is likely to be $50 million or more short of being able to build this road. "(The consideration of a toll) is the final insult to the people of the Gold Coast, who have been fobbed off year after year by this dishonest government," he says. Bredhauer, meanwhile, says the state government's commitment remains unchanged from that outlined prior to the election. "The RIP reflects the commitment that we gave, but it is just the start of our construction," he says. "What is reflected in the RIP is the commitment that we gave prior to the election in February that we would contribute an initial amount of $54 million towards the cost of construction so that we could begin construction in 2002 after the completion of the impact assessment study and dependent on the necessary approvals being gained from both the New South Wales government and the Commonwealth government in terms of environmental and impact assessments and the finalisation of an agreement with the Commonwealth government on funding for the Tugun bypass. "We are, in fact, in the process of delivering on that commitment that we gave prior to the election in February."