Brisbane’s LNP Council have failed to commence the business case on the Brisbane Metro expansion to deliver new routes in time for the 2032 Olympic Games, Council documents reveal.
Labor Council Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy has put Adrian Schrinner and his LNP Council on blast this morning for failing to progress the business case for the Metro despite receiving $50 million from the federal government early last year.
In a statement released this morning, Cr. Cassidy revealed the “damning timeline, buried in Council documents” showing that the business case contract is expected to commence in June 2026, and will take 24 months.
Early last year, The Federal Albanese Government granted Council $50 million for this business case – money labelled for “rapid delivery”.
Brisbane City Council released their “Race to Gold” public transport strategy in August 2024, in which they claimed that a business case would start in early 2025 and be complete in mid-2026.
However, new Council documents reveal the contract for the business case is only expected to commence in mid-2026.
Council received the $50 million they were asking for entirely from the federal government in February 2025 after the newly elected Crisafulli LNP government ended negotiations started by the former Miles Labor government.
Speaking to media this morning, Cassidy says the Lord Mayor “sat on his hands” for the past 12 months as the federal money was untouched.
“[Congestion] was a major issue at the last Council election, and Adrian Schrinner promised the people of Brisbane he would deliver more Metro services all the way to Carseldine, to the Airport, out to Capalaba and down to Springwood, and he said he would do that rapidly.”
“We find out today that the EOI for that business case was only issued last week, won’t commence until June this year and won’t wrap up until the middle of 2028.”
“I don’t think it is realistic for anybody to expect Metro expansion projects to be online before the Olympics.”
The first two routes involving Metro buses on existing busways and existing routes, took 8 years to deliver at a total cost of $1.55 billion, about $600 million over budget.
The contract will be available for public viewing after coming to Council next week.
