Speech to Chambers

Delivered by Councillor Seal Chong Wah, to the Debate on E & C report, Clause A, Metro Expansion Business Case , 3rd February 2026

I am speaking to the E & C Information Report Clause A - the Metro Expansion Business Case.

Let’s not beat around the bush: this vote is happening over a year late. A contractor will only start the business cases by the middle of 2026. 

That’s when this LNP administration had planned to complete them.

Attachment A also tells us that the business case contract will take 2 years. So we’re only going to see a business case by 2028, not even detailed plans.

As we all know this proposal for an expanded Metro system is only a north-south and eastern arterial system. There are no plans for a western link, at least until 2032. 

Lets be very clear this is NOT a city-wide transit system.

I want to point out that the Greens have been calling for public transport expansions for years now. And they don’t have to be this complicated.

Last election, for about a third of the current bus operating budget, the Greens put forward a vision to double the number of high-frequency bus services in Brisbane.

We want to run 15 new high-frequency routes between suburbs.

The Greens want to upgrade 10 existing routes to high frequency routes or to create extensions to existing high frequency routes.

And to keep these buses moving, we want to create bus priority along 13 main roads.

It’s all very straightforward, and doesn’t involve any billion dollar ‘megaprojects’.

And frankly, if these Metro expansion delays persist, more high frequency buses might be the real solution to how Brisbane moves people for the Olympics.

At this rate, Metro expansions won’t be up and running by the 2032 Olympics. 

2 years of delays means that Olympics venues in Belmont and Chandler will just be served by buses and private vehicles.

This Council needs to be preparing designs for the Eastern Transitway and missing links in the Northern Transitway and busway. 

The Council needs to begin funding more high frequency services.

Brisbane needs to be prepared for this Metro delay to blow out.

We can’t afford to wait any longer.