Deputy Premier & Treasurer Jackie Trad has said that the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project would transform the western gateway to the City and deliver the proposed ‘Brisbane Live’ development. 

“Roma Street Station is a key link between the city centre, Roma Street Parklands, Spring Hill’s schools, Caxton Street, the Petrie Barracks, Suncorp Stadium, and the cultural precinct at South Bank,” Ms Trad said.

“When complete the new station is expected to be used by more than 230,000 commuters every week, the equivalent of over four capacity crowds at Suncorp Stadium.

“However, the Brisbane Transit Centre is well past its prime, but by 2025 this end of the City will be totally transformed.

“Early works will start in 2019, with the Brisbane Transit Centre and Hotel Jen to be demolished in late-2020.

“Planning for Brisbane Live is well underway with representatives from AEG Worldwide visiting Brisbane from their Los Angeles base this week to meet with the local powerbrokers pulling the Brisbane Live business case together.

“Leading consultancy firm Deloitte have also recently been appointed to the project along with one of the world’s leading sport and architecture firms, Populous.

“Populous are well known in Brisbane, having designed the multi-award winning Suncorp Stadium and international venues including the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“With an 18,000 seat world-class arena as its centrepiece, the Roma Street precinct, just like the LA Live complex, will become Queensland’s premier entertainment venue hosting major live concerts and world class sporting events right in heart of the city.

“I’m proud that in the Budget I handed down this week we invested more than $700 million over the coming year to build Cross River Rail.

“Without Cross River Rail, this type of urban renewal simply wouldn’t be possible, which is why the Palaszczuk Government has stepped up to fund this transformational piece of infrastructure.”

“This is a project that will transform the south-east by creating a turn-up-and-go transport system for the whole of South-East Queensland – taking thousands of cars off our roads and getting people home and to work faster.

“Without it, we won’t be able to build the future vital connections to our SEQ region.”

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