There are no plans to implement transport cost of living relief for Cape York and Torres Strait residents, despite the Queensland Government green lighting permanent 50-cent public transport fares for those living in urban parts of the state earlier this month. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
There are no plans afoot to provide cost of living relief to Cape York and Torres Strait residents for skyrocketing transport costs despite the State Government giving the green light to an urban public transport scheme set to strip more than $362 million from infrastructure coffers each year.
Fifty-cent fares for buses, trains and ferries were implemented as a pre-election trial by the former Labor government, with Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg announcing on 10 February the slashed price would become permanent.
“Our decision to make 50c fares permanent was the right one, with so many Queenslanders benefiting from affordable public transport,” he said at the announcement.
South-east Queensland commuters have saved more than $181m in the first six months of the program, meaning about $1.3 billion in revenue for road and transport infrastructure will be lost between now and when the state’s voters next have their say in late 2028.
However, there is no hip pocket relief in sight for commuters in the northernmost part of the state, with some communities still paying up to $3 per litre for fuel and not having the option of public transport.
One Cape York civil construction business owner, who asked not to be named, said they were concerned the implementation of permanent 50c fares would have a twofold detrimental impact on the region.
“You can’t tell me they (the government) don’t treat people differently, because here we are paying a fortune for fuel and the mob in the cities are basically getting a free ride, all for the sake of government getting a few early points,” they said.
“What I’m worried about most is what the money lost through ticket sales might mean for road projects, mainly those up here and in other remote spots.
“We struggle to get the funding we need now, so who are they gonna leave out if you’re saying they’re gonna to lose three or so hundred million bucks a year that could be spent on roads and stuff because of these cheap fares? Us, that’s who.”
When Cape York Weekly asked Minister Mickelberg whether the government intended to investigate decreasing transport cost of living pressures for Cape York and Torres Strait residents, he deferred to the existing Local Fare Scheme (LFS) for remote airfares.
“The Local Fare Scheme is one of the current government measures to reduce the cost of airfares for Queenslanders living in remote communities,” he said.
“The LFS provides a subsidy of up to $200 towards a one-way fare for eligible residents in Cape York, Gulf of Carpentaria, and the Torres Strait.
“We are always looking at ways to help social connectivity and essential services for residents in Far North Queensland; we only need to look at the weather events over the past few weeks to see the importance of this.”
