Brisbane Tramway Museum / Northpoint TAFE

["John Lambert" <jalambert@redland.net.au>]

Extract from Queensland State Government Hansard for Wednesday 14 April
1999.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Brisbane Light Rail Project
Hon. S. D. BREDHAUER

(Cook  ALP)

(Minister for Transport and Minister for Main Roads) (9.53 a. m.),

By leave:
 I would like to draw members' attention to an open day held yesterday by
the Brisbane Tramways Museum
at Ferny Grove to mark the 30th anniversary of the closure of Brisbane's
one- time vital
transportation system the trams. Yesterday's open day was of interest to
both transport
enthusiasts and anyone interested in Brisbane's history. The member for
Ferny
Grove, acting on my behalf, also attended the museum's open day yesterday to
confirm a
new initiative which will provide our young people with the necessary skills
to play a vital
role in the Beattie Government's plans for a modern light rail  industry in
Queensland.
The Brisbane Light Rail  Project, at a cost of $235m, will generate up to
300 jobs during
construction and up to 80 jobs on a permanent basis. Over the past few
months,
Queensland Transport officers involved with the Brisbane Light Rail  Project
have been
working closely with Northpoint TAFE and the Brisbane Tramways Museum at
Ferny Grove
to develop a scheme to train apprentices in various fields in the light rail
industry, including
metal, upholstery, electrical and timberwork.
Under the agreement, the Brisbane Light Rail  Project will spend $2.4m to
construct an
annexe at the museum's Ferny Grove complex and to fund training related
activities
associated with light rail. I should say that the initiative has been
strongly supported by the
Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations, the member for
Ferny
Grove and the Brisbane Tramways Museum President, Peter Hyde. It is fair to
say that their
ongoing commitment ensured the training project went ahead and that we were
in the
position to start the scheme as quickly as possible. Members would
appreciate the
significance of this agreement. It is about strategic labour force planning.
It reflects the
Beattie Government's commitment not only to creating individual jobs but
also to developing
industries which will provide generations of Queenslanders with very real
job opportunities
well into the future.
As members would know, the Brisbane Light Rail  Project will provide a light
rail service
linking the Royal Brisbane Hospital, Fortitude Valley, Teneriffe, South
Bank, West End, the
Queensland University of Technology and the city centre. It is a clean and
reliable solution to
Brisbane's growing transport problems, and is being developed in such a way
that it will
integrate with other transport modes and be a significant contributor to
Brisbane's public
transport services. For example, the South East Busway, currently under
construction
between the CBD and Springwood, is being built in such a way that it can
accommodate a
light rail service.
Queensland is currently enjoying significant growth in the rail industry,
with the
introduction of the tilt and heritage trains and the success of the
extensions to the Gold
Coast rail line. If this growing industry is to continue to prosper, it is
only natural that we
build a work force with the skills to service it.
This is what the agreement between the Brisbane Light Rail  Project,
Northpoint TAFE
and the Brisbane Tramways Museum is about strategically building a work
force to
match a growing industry. Under the agreement, a $2.4m annexe will be built
and
subsequently used by TAFE to train 56 apprentices. This training will count
towards
one year of the trainees' apprenticeships. They will then be able to choose
the industry or type
of work in which to continue their vocational training.
Once again, our thanks must go to the Brisbane Tramways Museum for making
its
vehicles available to TAFE for training purposes. This agreement is also a
welcome
boost for the local community in terms of tourism at the museum and
additional
employment benefits for the northern Brisbane region. The member for Ferny
Grove, in his
efforts to secure the agreement for his electorate, has put in many hours to
help
smooth the way towards yesterday's announcement. It is hoped that the annexe
can be built in the next financial year, which will allow TAFE to get the
training scheme up and
running as soon as possible. I am advised that TAFE currently operates
programs which start
at different times during the year. This will provide some flexibility as to
when the annexe
can open. However, Queensland Transport has advised me that it is possible
and
preferable that the annexe be completed by mid next year, which would allow
Northpoint
TAFE use of the new building by the latter half of 2000.
This agreement and the Brisbane Light Rail  Project represent a $235m
investment by
the Beattie Government in what has the very real potential to develop into a
significant
industry for Queensland. I am confident that light rail  will not only play
a vital role in solving
our long- term transport concerns; it will become a major financial mainstay
for
Queensland, providing investment opportunities and jobs for Queenslanders.