Media Releases

My electorate office distributes information which is important to the Southport electorate in particular, and the Gold Coast in general. This information goes to the print and electronic media, however due to space or time constraints it doesn’t always get printed or broadcast.

Through my website however, you can access all news stories which emanate from my office and thus keep up-to-date with State Government issues relating to Southport.

Southport to reap benefits from record State Budget
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jun 07 2005
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Southport residents would experience substantial benefits from the Beattie Government's best State Budget, the Member for Southport, Peter Lawlor, said today.

Mr Lawlor said locals would share in a record $8 billion capital works program, a major boost to core Government services including health, police and education and $5 billion in tax cuts over seven years.

"Queensland is growing and developing at a tremendous pace," Mr Lawlor said.

"Well rounded Labor Budgets such as this are keeping the Smart State heading in the right direction.

"We lead the nation in economic growth, our unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in thirty years and we boast the best balance sheet in the country.

"The 2005/06 Beattie Government Budget is about investing in the future with better services, better infrastructure and better living conditions throughout the Smart State.

"I am very pleased to say the Southport electorate will receive an excellent range of new projects and initiatives, thanks to this Budget."

Mr Lawlor said on top of the specific electorate projects, Southport would also share in the extra 352 nurses, 228 police officers, 286 teachers, 70 paramedics and 151 child safety staff being employed across the State in 2005/06.

He said other state-wide measures to benefit Southport included a multi-million dollar land tax relief package and the abolition of several business duties, worth $3.5 billion over seven years.

"In 2005/06, people in other states and territories will pay an average of $427 or 25 per cent more than Queensland taxpayers," Mr Lawlor said.

Mr Lawlor said the 2005/06 Budget expenditure for the electorate included:

• $686,000 for domestic violence prevention to provide counselling, referral and support for people affected by domestic and family violence and for women accessing court services at a total project cost of $2.05 million.
  
  
• $996,000 to provide an accommodation and support service for women and children escaping domestic and family violence and to provide counselling and support for people and young people at risk of homelessness at a total State Government contribution of $2.98 million.
  
  
• $2.97 million to community organisations under the Home and Community Care program. This program provides support and maintenance services for eligible people at home to prevent early admission to residential care.
  
  
• $524,000 to community organisations under the National Drug Strategy for alcohol and drug prevention campaigns.
  
  
• $68,000 for the Triple-P early intervention program, which aims to increase parenting skills particularly for parents with children under eight.
  
  
• $292,000 to community organisations to provide mental health services.
  
  
• $26.1 million invested by ENERGEX for continuing works with a total value of $45.8 million, including various replacement and rebuilding of assets at Molendinar substation (joint project with Powerlink) and establishing a substation at Arundel.
  
  
• $49,000 towards constructing roads and drainage in the Southport electorate.
  
  
• $5.74 million for a replacement police station at Southport with a total project cost of $6.5 million.
  
  
• $426,000 for a neighbourhood police beat at Arundel.
  
  
• $350,000 for replacement of the Gold Coast police vessel C.W.BROWN stationed at Southport (shared with the electorates of Albert, Burleigh, Broadwater, Currumbin, Robina and Surfers Paradise).
  
  
• $140,000 for replacement of the Gold Coast police vessel A.P.ANDERSON stationed at Southport (shared with the electorates of Albert, Burleigh, Broadwater, Currumbin, Robina and Surfers Paradise).
  
  
• $850,000 to begin construction of 12 medium density public housing units at a total project cost of $3.23 million.
  
  
• $29,000 to complete construction of 15 medium density public housing units at a total project cost of $3.46 million.
  
  
• $75,000 towards traffic signals at Cougal Street and Nerang Street, Southport.
  
  
• $200,000 for duplication to four lanes on the Gold Coast Highway between Stevens Street and Government Road with a total project cost of $57 million.
  
  
• $7.4 million to continue widening the Gold Coast Highway to 4 lanes between Robert Street and Stevens Street with a total project cost of $15 million.
  
  
• $9,000 towards widening Kumbari Avenue and Musgrave Avenue, Southport.
  
  
• $700,000 to continue bus priority works on the Smith Street Connection Road from the Gold Coast Highway to 4km west along Smith Street with a total project cost of $4.5 million.
  
  
• $500,000 towards constructing bus priority measures along Smith Street from Parklands Drive to the Gold Coast Highway.
  
  
• $3.2 million for planning to provide an intra-regional transport corridor for a new four lane link between Stapylton and Nerang - Broadbeach Road, including corridor preservation, with a total project cost of $23 million (shared with the electorates of Albert, Broadwater, and Surfers Paradise).
  
  
• $500,000 towards planning, designing and constructing bus priority measures along three major road corridors in the Gold Coast (Gold Coast Highway from Miami to Coolangatta, Nerang - Broadbeach Road and Nerang - Southport Road) with a total project cost of $60.44 million (shared with the electorates of Burleigh and Currumbin).
  
  
• $300,000 for bridge and culvert repairs at various locations in Gold Coast City on the Southport - Burleigh Road with a total project cost of $600,000 (shared with the electorates of Burleigh, Robina and Surfers Paradise).
  
  
• $500,000 to continue work on an auxiliary lane on Southport - Nerang Road between Southport and Burleigh Road with a total project cost of $700,000.
  
  
• $250,000 to continue sealing Labrador - Carrara Road between Central Street and Melia Court with a total project cost of $4.14 million (shared with the electorates of Broadwater and Southport).
  
  
• $385,000 to Arundel State School to upgrade special education facilities, including $31,000 for fit out.
  
  
• $274,000 to Keebra Park State High School for Activity Centre Refurbishment.
  
  
• $76,000 to Arundel State School to complete an electrical upgrade, including $23,000 for fit out, with a total project cost of $80,000.
  
  
• $48,000 to Musgrave Hill State School to commence planning for a major classroom upgrade to support practical learning initiatives, including $3,000 for fit out, with a total project cost of $541,000.
  
  
• $30,000 to Southport State High School to upgrade electronic and physical security, including $10,000 for fit out.
  
  
• $330,000 under the Triple R Maintenance and Asbestos Roof Replacement Program for repainting at Keebra Park State High School and Southport State High School, for asbestos Reproofing at Keebra Park State High School, Musgrave Hill State School and Southport State High School.
  
  
• $123,000 for high priority maintenance related to re-flooring at Keebra Park State High School, Musgrave Hill State School, Southport State High School and Southport State School.
  
  
• $8.44 million to support people with disabilities and their families, including $2.68 million to organisations assisting people with a disability, $2.41 million to support adults with a disability maintain their living arrangements and participate in the community and $1.09 million to assist school leavers with a disability make the transition from school to adult life.

• $135,000 in continued funding for the Logan/Gold Coast Tactical Crime Squad, which targets known crime hotspots with a strong emphasis on investigating property crime and drug offences.
  
  
• $1 million to begin construction of a rapid transit system between Helensvale and Parkwood to Broadbeach to increase accessibility through reliable, high-frequency public transport. This would form the first stage of a city-wide rapid transit system, with eventual extension south to Coolangatta. The total project cost is estimated at $670.71 million.
  
  
• $100.1 million for additional rollingstock and infrastructure for the Citytrain MetTRIP initiative. More than $900 million is being spent on the MetTRIP initiative up to 2008-09 to deliver substantial service enhancements to commuters between the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
  
  
• $100,000 towards bikeway linkages at various locations on the Gold Coast Bikeway.
  
  
• $300,000 to continue delineating, marking and signing the Gold Coast Highway between Helensvale and Arundel with a total project cost of $900,000.
  
  
• $4.09 million to upgrade public housing including kitchens, bathrooms, modifications for disability access and security/insect screens in the Beaudesert and Gold Coast area.
  
  
• $19,000 to upgrade Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rental housing including kitchens, bathrooms, modifications for disability access and security/insect screens in the Gold Coats and Beaudesert region.
  
  
• $2.88 million to buy seven dwellings for public housing in the Gold Coast area.
  
  
• Approximately $99 million will be invested in over 6.4 million hours of training in the South Coast region.
  
  
• Approximately $5.5 million to create an estimated 882 jobs through the Government's Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative during 2005/06 in the South Coast region.
  
  
• $1.91 million to the Gold Coast Health Service District for medical equipment including an anaesthesia unit ventilator, a bronchoscope, cardiograph, a colonoscope, a defibrillator, dental units, an electrosurgical unit, haemodialysis units, an infant incubator, surgical lights, patient beds, pulse oximeters and an ultrasound unit.
  
  
• $1.99 million to expand the Gold Coast Hospital's emergency department, which will support the fast-tracking of patients in the lower triage categories, and provide a 24-hour service.
  
  
• $2.14 million to manage demand for services in the Gold Coast Health Service District.
  
  
• $4.84 million to the Cardiac Catheter Service at the Gold Coast Hospital.
  
  
• $800,000 to continue development of a two-bed birthing centre at the Gold Coast Hospital, based on the successful model established at the Royal Brisbane Hospital where teams of two midwives care for the mother-to-be throughout the pregnancy and manage the birth.
  
  
• $321,000 to the Gold Coast Tourism Bureau to encourage tourists to the region.
  
  
• $157,000 to boost community safety in relation to domestic and family violence in the South Coast region with a total project cost of $800,000.

Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 2:28 PM

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