Editor Lyndon Keane says the anticipated $362 million loss to government coffers each year through the introduction of permanent 50-cent public transport fares will cost remote areas like Cape York when it comes to available funding for road infrastructure projects. Photo: cape York Weekly.
If you want a clear picture of the disparity between us and our city cousins when it comes to being the focus of love and affection from our political masters, you only need to look as far as the 10 February announcement 50-cent public transport fares in urban parts of the state are here to stay.
The trial of cut-price public transport, announced by former premier Steven Miles in the lead-up to October’s state election, was one of the most transparent, shameless attempts at pork barrelling metropolitan voters in recent memory, but last week’s revelation the Crisafulli government plans to make it permanent spells nothing but bad news for those attempting to get from A to B across Cape York and the Torres Strait.
Fifty-cent fares are brilliant if you live in the south-east corner of Queensland or one of our regional centres like Cairns. In fact, I experienced the wonder of bargain basement public transport when I was in Brisbane over the silly season. The problem is the scheme is nothing more than a huge middle finger to those of us in remote parts of the state bereft of train, bus and ferry options, especially when we all know we’re going to end up footing the bill for those who do.
The numbers around 50c fare permanency are mind boggling. The government estimates south-east Queensland public transport users saved more than $181 million in fares during the trial alone. If you extrapolate that, it equates to $362m in revenue that doesn’t help line government coffers each year. Between now and the next time Queenslanders vote in a state election, that represents about $1.3 billion – yes, billion with a “b” – in lost income that could have been invested in much-needed road infrastructure upgrades in places like, I don’t know, Cape York.
Some would argue ignoring a bit of additional revenue is poor fiduciary planning, given Treasurer David Janetzki told us only a few weeks ago Queensland’s debt is forecast to hit $218b by the 2027-28 financial year.
The most annoying part of the 50c fare farce is that Blind Freddy could see it’s nothing more than a political tactic to sure up votes well before 2028 with electors who will appreciate spending the few dollars per day they’ve saved on public transport on another skinny oat milk vanilla latte with a squirt of hazelnut.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg – who I think is doing a pretty solid job three-and-a-half months into the role – is selling permanent 50c fares as a cost of living relief victory with “so many Queenslanders benefiting from affordable public transport”. Not so much when you get north of Mount Carbine.
I’m not stupid enough to suggest a public transport network for Cape York and the Torres Strait islands is feasible. I just want to point out how differently our politicians treat us and those living in the big smoke when it comes to getting to the places we all need to go in our everyday lives.
The 50c fare system allows anyone living in the south-eastern part of the state to travel from Gympie to the Gold Coast – I don’t know why anyone would want to, but just play along with me here – for $1 on public transport. A distance of 250 kilometres, give or take. Compare that to someone driving the same distance on the Peninsula Developmental Road, which many do regularly for supply runs. With fuel costing $2.50-3 per litre up this way, covering 250km is going to cost you between $60-75 if average vehicle consumption rates are factored in. What could the political rationale on this piss-taking imbalance possibly be? You don’t have public transport, so just be quiet, or move to somewhere there are more voters for us to win over?
We aren’t delusional enough to believe politicians will ever treat us the same as those with metropolitan postcodes, but it’d be nice to have them pretend they care with a few scraps every now and then. The scraps from the $362m in annual transport revenue lost to 50c fares could have gone a long way to progressing vital Cape York road infrastructure like the Myall Creek bridge and Shelley’s Crossing at Laura. That’s my 50c worth.
