Auditor General report slams Labor’s infrastructure body

A damning report by the state’s Auditor General has revealed a long list of failings in the infrastructure body set up by the Palaszczuk Labor Government.

LNP Shadow Infrastructure Minister Andrew Powell said the Evaluating major infrastructure projects report published today highlighted the inability of Labor’s Building Queensland to manage major infrastructure projects.

“Queenslanders continue to be let down by a Labor state government that can’t manage taxpayer money or major projects,” Mr Powell said.

“Infrastructure projects will play a crucial role in protecting jobs and restarting the economy, but the Palaszczuk Labor Government has shown it can’t be trusted to deliver them.

“It’s been five years since dodgy Jackie Trad set up Building Queensland and the Auditor General has found systemic failings in its transparency, assurance activities and capability.

“The report confirms what we have known all along – Labor is good at announcements, but terrible at delivering.

“The Trad-Palaszczuk Labor Government has cut more than $2 billion from the infrastructure spend every year since being elected.

“It’s alarming that Building Queensland has been found to have failed its legislative role while spending a massive $15.5 million on external consultants.

“Even the government’s own department of Transport and Main Roads questioned the value of Labor’s infrastructure body.”

Key Auditor General findings include:

• In 2018–19, Building Queensland’s total operating costs were $22.2 million, of which it spent $15.5 million (70 per cent) on external consultants and contractors, primarily to deliver business cases
• The Department of Transport and Main Roads has ongoing concerns with BQ’s role in terms of overall value for money, costs of assurance reviews, and duplication of effort in developing business cases
• Building Queensland was found to have not necessarily fulfilled its legislative role to provide expert advice about infrastructure to government
• Project teams did not implement all assurance activities as planned and did not adequately address some issues identified from the assurance activities

“When the state’s own infrastructure body isn’t working, it’s no wonder projects continue to have delays and budget blowouts,” Mr Powell said.

“Now more than ever Queensland needs an LNP Government that can deliver major infrastructure projects on time and on budget and get Queensland working again.

“Building a stronger economy means delivering the infrastructure a growing state needs.”

Report: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Documents/TableOffice/TabledPapers/2020/5620T649.pdf