STATE BUDGET: $17.5 Million FERRY TERMINALS AND $10.8 FOR RUSSELL JETTY IMMEDIATE START

Russell Island is finally to get the long-awaited new jetty with the State Government to splash out an astonishing $10.8 million for the structure.

The amount for the jetty is $2million more than the Redland City Council outlaid for the construction of the Macleay Island foreshore car park.

The outlay by the State Government is the first major infrastructure outlay announced for the Southern Bay Islands in years, and is a great boost for the islands.

The Palaszczuk government will actually splash out $17.5 million for ferry terminal infrastructure on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

It was part of the big spending budget announced by Treasurer Jacki Trad in the 2018-19 Budget announced in mid June.

It is known that relatively new Redlands MP, Kim Richards, played a significant role in obtaining the funds for the island jetty upgrades which will see the Queensland government fully fund the upgrade of the Russell Island ferry terminal and pay half the cost of upgrading Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra terminals.

“I’ve been fighting hard for upgrades to ferry terminals on our islands since my election last year,” Ms Richards said.

“The upgrades follow on from the opening last year of the $8.5 million upgrade of the Redland Bay marina bus station which provides a link for passengers who transfer between TransLink’s Southern Moreton Bay Island ferry and bus services.”

The announcement in the Budget came hard on the heels of an announcement by Redland City Council that there needed to be a ‘clear definition’ in responsibilities for infrastructure over water and land in Queensland.

The Council stated it believes the State Government should be responsible for infrastructure over water, with the council responsible for associated infrastructure on land.

The council says that is the situation that occurs right throughout Queensland, except in the Redlands and Brisbane City municipalities.

Everywhere else throughout Queensland, the State Government pays for marine infrastructure such as jetties.

A council report estimates the cost for a new Russell Island ferry terminal is $10.8 million, Macleay Island $6 million, Lamb Island $5 million and Karragarra $4.5 million.

Fortunately, the schedule announced by the State Government will see the State-funded new jetty on Russell Island being built this new financial year.

The State budget allocated just half the funds for the construction of new jetties for Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra, but these will not be available to the 2019-2020 financial year and will give the State Government and Redland City Council time to sort out their funding differences.

• An impression of what the new Russell Island jetty may involve.