Fairfax Annual Report 2021/22

I am pleased to present my Financial Year 2021/22 Annual Report for Fairfax. It was an eventful year with many challenges for the electorate including ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19 and also catastrophic floods in February.

It was also a year of great opportunity, and we successfully seized the moment on various fronts including securing the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and record funding for roads and a $1.6 billion budget commitment for a new rail line to Maroochydore.

However, the year also brought political change with a Federal Election removing the LNP Coalition and installing a Labor Government.

I was honoured to be re-elected as the Member for Fairfax and I reaffirm my pledge to be the Sunshine Coast’s man in Canberra and not Canberra’s man on the Sunshine Coast.

Cover page: Ted met with residents affected by the February floods, including Gordon McWilliam, Kenilworth Free Range Farm

Ted O’Brien MP Federal Member for Fairfax Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy

FAIRFAX REPORT: TED O’BRIEN MP

Unprecedented levels of funding from the former Coalition Government.

The 2021/22 Financial Year saw continued record investment in infrastructure and support for businesses recovering from the pandemic and widespread flooding.

I secured $1.6 billion for a new rail line between Beerwah and Maroochydore, after years of advocacy.

The Coalition Government also targeted recovery support by investing over $34.8 million in local Fairfax businesses and $47.4 million in community and sporting groups.

FY 2021/22 also saw great achievements including winning the bid to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As Special Envoy for the Games, I was proud to have led the Federal Government’s efforts throughout the bid process and to be appointed as a board director on the Organising Committee.

To ensure the Sunshine Coast capitalises on the 2032 Games, I established Sunshine Coast 2032a community-led taskforce that aims to maximise benefits for our region in the lead up, during and after the Games.

Towards the end of FY 2021/22, I was privileged to be re-elected as the Member for Fairfax at the Federal Election. However, it was disappointing that the Coalition lost Government.

I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Fairfax in the 47th Parliament, and to also serve as the Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

Ted O’Brien MP Federal Member for Fairfax Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy

Ted is sworn in as the Federal Member for Fairfax in the 47th Parliament.

2032 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

Ted played an instrumental role in securing the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games as the chief negotiator and representative of the Federal Government from the start of the process.

Ted was subsequently appointed to the position of Special Envoy for the Games, and was appointed to the Organising Committee.

Upon the 2032 Games being awarded, Ted outlined his legacy plan for the Sunshine Coast by leveraging the event.

This included major transport projects and facilities in addition to hosting key Olympic sporting events including mountain biking at Nambour; cycling, marathon, race walks and kiteboarding at

SUNSHINE COAST 2032

During the year, Ted established Sunshine Coast 2032 – a grassroots community-led local taskforce to pursue opportunities in the lead up, during and after the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Following several public forums, an expressions of interest process and public consultations, Ted

Alexandra Headland; soccer at Kawana; and basketball at the Maroochydore CBD.

Ted was subsequently removed from the Organising Committee, on advice of the Queensland Premier following the 2022 Federal Election.

announced the formation of Sunshine Coast 2032 with Roz White as Chair and Duncan Armstrong OAM and Brendan Burkett OAM as Deputy Chairs. The new organisation will be ably supported by Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast, and many commuinty leaders will play an active role.

Ted with Sunshine Coast 2032 Ambassadors Alana Quade and Blake Cochrane OAM

Ted with Sunshine Coast 2032 Chair Roz White and Deputy Chair Duncan Armstrong OAM

RAIL

Ted continued to lead a campaign for better rail services to the Sunshine Coast, incorporating full duplication – that’s two tracks – of the North Coast Rail Line to Nambour and a new passenger line from Beerwah to the Maroochydore CBD.

Thanks to Ted’s advocacy, the LNP Federal Government committed an unprecedented $1.6 billion to fund 50% of a new passenger line to Maroochydore along the CAMCOS corridor, in the 2022/23 budget. To date, this funding remains unmatched by the Qld State Government. Nevertheless, Ted continues his campaign to bring this important project to realisation before the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ted continued his campaigns for better rail for the Sunshine Coast.

ROADS

Work continued on the $301 million upgrade of the Bruce Highway at the Maroochydore and Mons Rd interchanges, 80% funded by the LNP Federal Government due to Ted’s advocacy. This will provide a new 4-lane eastbound bridge over the Bruce Highway from Nambour Connection Rd to Maroochydore Rd and a wider 4-lane underpass at Mons Rd to help reduce congestion and improve safety.

During the year, significant milestones were met, with a section of the new eastern service road over Eudlo Creek completed, and

Building on his success in securing $390 million for Stage 1 of the Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade, Ted secured a further $5 million in the 2021/22 LNP budget to design a new Stage 2 solution with full duplication of the line to Nambour. However to date, the Qld State Government has failed to match this funding.

Over 6,800 people have signed Ted’s petition for better rail for the Sunshine Coast via www.fastrail.com.au and Ted continues to lead the campaign.

bridge girders, deck units and safety barriers completed on a new, four-lane, eastbound bridge. Additionally, major earthworks and drainage upgrades are well underway.

The LNP Federal Government committed unprecedented funding to upgrade local roads as part of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure and Roads to Recovery programs. Over $7 million was given to the Sunshine Coast Council in 2021/22 to upgrade, widen and reseal roads across the Coast.

Pre-planning commenced on the congestion-busting upgrade of the Sunshine Motorway at the Mooloolah River Interchange (MRI). Although this is a State road, Ted secured $160 million (50%) from the LNP Federal Government, as part of the 2021/22 budget.

Ted has subsequently been seeking the release of information from the Qld Government on the design of the MRI, and has expressed concern it may obstruct a future rail line into the Maroochydore CBD, and thus increase the cost of the rail solution.

ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

During the year, Ted commenced an ambitious campaign for an entertainment centre for the Maroochydore CBD.

Capitalising on the possibility of basketball preliminaries for the 2032 Olympic Games being played at such a facility, Ted unveiled his vision for a multi-purpose entertainment centre that would host sports, arts, exhibitions and cultural events. Ted secured $5 million in philanthropic pledges in support of his vision in addition to support from members of all three levels of government.

SHADOW MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY

Following the 2022 election, Ted was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy. On his first day in this significant portfolio, Ted publicly stated that he would formulate a new suite of policies for the Coalition while also holding the new Labor Government to account, being constructive where he can and critical where he must. Ted has put the Labor Government on notice that the public expect full delivery of the promises Labor took to the election, including a $275 cut in household power bills.

Marchese Partners and RWA Sports architects produced concept designs based on Ted’s vision of a multi-purpose entertainment centre for the Maroochydore CBD.

CALOUNDRA RD TO SUNSHINE MOTORWAY BRUCE HIGHWAY

Funding

Funding secured

MAROOCHYDORE

INTERCHANGE BRUCE HIGHWAY

MONS RD INTERCHANGE BRUCE HIGHWAY

PINE RIVER TO

BRUCE HIGHWAY

WIDE BAY

BRUCE

COOROY

Construction commenced Expected completion

Funding secured

Construction commenced Expected completion

Construction commenced Expected

Funding

FISHER

BLAIR

BELLI PARK

KENILWORTH

FLAXTON

EERWAH

DULONG

OBI OBI

MAPLETON

MAPLETON NATIONAL PARK

Ted O'Brien MPJune 2022

LEADERSHIP / ADVOCACY

Ted led numerous campaigns during the year:

• Better rail services for the Sunshine Coast;

• A multi-purpose entertainment centre in the Maroochydore CBD;

• Certainty for businesses and residents in light of the Queensland Government’s overreach of pandemic restrictions;

• Greater action on energy policy to lower the rising cost of power prices for households and businesses;

• Additional flood support for local businesses and residents outside the government-designated support zones; and

• The establishment of 2032 Sunshine Coast - a grassroots community-led local taskforce - to capitalise on the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games locally.

February 2022 saw some of the worst flooding in recent memory on the Sunshine Coast and across the South-East Queensland region. Many areas of the Fairfax electorate were impacted, including in Kenilworth and lowlying areas of Eumundi, Yandina, Maroochydore and Nambour. Ted hit the streets, meeting with locals who were impacted and assisted hundreds of people to access federal and joint federal/state emergency and recovery grants.

Ted also directly contacted over 78,000 households and businesses about grants and support that was available to them.

Ted publicly advocated for lower energy prices for local businesses, such as Mapleton IGA which was featured in News Corporation newspapers and Channel Nine’s A Current Affair.

Ted visited flood effected communities, including Kenilworth

TOKYO OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS WELCOME HOME EVENT

In October, Ted hosted a welcome home parade for Sunshine Coast athletes who competed in the Tokyo Games, in conjunction with Noosa Council, Sunshine Coast Council and the University of the Sunshine Coast. Our results in Tokyo were among our strongest ever, with Sunshine Coast Paralympians, for example, collecting 14 medals – almost 18 percent of Australia’s total medal count. The welcome home event was attended by hundreds of locals and 17 Olympic and Paralympic athletes at the University of the Sunshine Coast Stadium.

PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRIES

In his role as Chair of the Standing Committee on Environment and Energy, and Chair of the Trade Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Ted led five Parliamentary Inquiries in 2021/22:

• Expanding the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership;

• Deepening relations with the Pacific nations through trade;

• Australian Local Power Agency Bill 2021 and Australian Local Power Agency (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021;

• Current circumstances, and the future need and potential for, dispatchable energy generation and storage capability in Australia (lapsed); and

• Commonwealth Environment Protection Authority Bill 2021 (lapsed).

NOTE: ‘lapsed’ inquires refer to those which, while undertaken, were not completed prior to the dissolution of the 46th Parliament at the 2022 election.

MORE THAN $67 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING WAS RECEIVED BY COMMUNITY GROUPS, SCHOOLS, INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES AND COUNCIL IN 2021/2022

Apex Qld Youth Camps $5,000

Aqualia (Trust) $20,000 ausEE $2,150

Aussie Boyz Productions $30,000 Australian Cycling Academy $75,000 Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra $560,026 Big Audio Live $53,368

Black Cat Civil $20,000

Bloomhill Cancer Care $438,000 Buddies Refugee Support Group $3,344

Buderim - Palmwoods Heritage Tramway $5,000

Buderim Amateur Theatre Company (BATS) $1,700

Buderim Bowls Club $5,000

Buderim Bucket Co $129,800

Buderim Foundation $2,700

Buderim Garden Club $3,605

Buderim Wanderers Football Club $12,000

Buderim War Memorial Community $5,000

Cardly $109,800 Care Outreach $5,000

Coastal Aviation $22,896

Coastal Community Native Nursery $4,760

Coolum Beach Christian College $20,000

Coolum Beach Meals on Wheels $3,500

Coolum Beach SLSC $9,345

Coolum District Netball $2,000

Coolum HeARTs $14,700

Coolum Junior Rugby League Club $318,404 Coolum Primary P&C $8,600

Coolum Women’s Shed $7,500

Crowd Canvas $290,000

Daniel Morcombe Foundation $3,887,927 Diablo (CD Aust) $20,000

Donations to Community Events $9,364

Donations - Flags $4,420

EJ Foote War Memorial Sanctuary $1,000

EOMAP Australia $92,400

Eumundi & District Community Assoc $6,000

Eumundi & District Historical Assoc $25,200

Eumundi Branch - QCWA $2,220

Fer nland $40,000

Gold Earth Organics $103,200

Good Samaritan Catholic College $1,000,000

Goodlife Community Swimming Club $10,000 Hall Contracting $12,267

Har mony House $11,018

Heavy Rail to Maroochydore $1,600,000,000 Hiller Hospitality $20,000

Hoofbeats Sanctuary $5,000

Integrated Family & Youth Service (IFYS) $1,103,209 Kanyini Connections $30,000

Kin Music $107,000

Kyabra Community $7,500

LifeFlight Foundation $8,000

Lily House $5,000

Lions Club of Buderim $3,500

Lions Club of Coolum Beach $4,000

Local Sporting Champions $27,100

Immanuel Lutheran College $17,500

Majestic Cinemas Nambour $70,000

Mapleton Community Library $1,652

Mapleton Men’s Shed $2,006

Mapleton State School P&C - The Observatory $2,500

Mapleton Tennis Club $10,200

Maroochy River Rowing Club $2,500

Maroochydore Australian Football Club $5,000

Maroochydore Football Club $45,529

Maroochydore Junior Rugby League Club $12,000

Maroochydore Junior Rugby League Club $2,500

Maroochydore SES $2,250

Maroochydore SLSC $2,200

Memorial Park Community Kindergarten $8,000

Mountain Creek Junior Australian Football Club $1,000

Mountain Creek State High School $1,000

Mudjimba Community Kindergarten $5,000

Mudjimba Longboard Club $3,000

Nambour & District Historical Museum $10,700

Nambour & District Tennis Assoc $4,000

Nambour Community Centre $429,841

Nambour Meals on Wheels Service $9,856

Nambour-Yandina United Football Club $15,520

Neighbours Aid $5,000

North Ar m State School $1,000

North Shore Community Centre $5,000

North Shore Jets AFL Club $3,100

Nunn Trust $20,000

Powersafe Power Boards $20,000

Queensland Koala Crusaders $11,500

Quota Club of Coolum Beach $3,000

Range Community Gym $2,500

RDA Sunshine Coast $90,870

RSL Coolum Peregian Sub Branch $19,008

RSL Maroochydore $45,760

Sky Gazer Culture $73,800

St Vincent De Paul - Maroochydore $3,300

Suncoast Christian College $5,500

Sunshine Coast & Regional District RSL $109,680

Sunshine Coast Airport $2,233,000

Sunshine Coast Bushwalkers $4,847

Sunshine Coast Council $20,308,965

Sunshine Coast Netball $12,270

Sunshine Coast Physie & Dance $5,000

Sunshine Coast Square Dance Centre $3,900

Sunshine Coast Table Tennis Club $5,000

Sunshine Hospice $3,000

Teens Take Control $1,503,145

The Mackerels Baseball Club $3,900

The Range Community Kindergarten $3,000

Thrive Sunshine Coast $2,400

Turbine Sunshine Coast $33,400,000

UACS Consulting $90,800

Volunteering Sunshine Coast $87,685

W ildlife HQ $381,254

Woombye Community Library $1,000

Woombye Tennis Club $10,000

Yandina & District Historical Society $1,760

Yandina Pony Club $4,000

Yandina State School $14,000

Youth Flourish Outdoors $4,950

COMMUNITY

FY 2021/22 saw the Sunshine Coast community continue to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, assisted by more than $47.46 million of federal funding secured by Ted for community groups and $20.3 million for the Sunshine Coast Council so it could support a wide range of community programs, including:

• $5.4 million to support programs for children and at-risk and marginalised youth;

• $3.6 million for environmental programs, including energy efficiency grants for community groups;

• $527,668 for local sporting groups, such as lighting upgrades;

• $ 438,000 to ensure the continuation of integrated cancer services at Bloomhill Cancer Care; and

• $199,648 to support a range of services for veterans on the Sunshine Coast, including transport and advocacy.

Ted’s quarterly road trips continued throughout the year, giving hundreds of residents the opportunity to speak to Ted directly at 61 mobile office and roadside locations. Ted also attended many community functions and events across the electorate, including the Australian Government Jobs Fair, the Sunshine Coast Regional Tourism Summit, and the Ageing in Place Conference, as well as presiding over six citizenship ceremonies where he welcomed hundreds of new Australians living on the Coast.

BUSINESS

Over $34.83 million was provided for local Sunshine Coast businesses, to assist with recovery from pandemicrelated disruptions and to support regional economic growth, including:

• $33.4 million for a world-first, end-to-end food and beverage manufacturing facility, ‘Turbine Precinct’ at the Sunshine Coast Airport;

• $720,394 to support local, live music, including $560,000 to the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra to expand their 2022 tour schedule;

• $381,254 for zoos and wildlife parks, in addition to the $396,928 provided in the previous year for ongoing conservation and education programs;

• $438,867 for local businesses to attend trade shows and conferences, and explore new export markets; and

• $470,000 to support business innovation and entrepreneurial activities.

Ted addressed hundreds of local business owners at meetings and forums, including at Chambers of Commerce meetings across the electorate.

SUPPORTING THE SUNSHINE COAST’S AGRICULTURAL AND MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES

A world-first manufacturing facility, which will transform the Sunshine Coast’s food and beverage sector, will be operational by late 2023 following a $33.4 million grant secured by Ted from the LNP Federal Government. The ‘Turbine Precinct’ will be a mega 20,000 m2 purpose built, collaborative food and beverage manufacturing centre located at the Sunshine Coast Airport.

Ted celebrates the $33.4 million grant for the word’s first end-to-end food and beverage manufacturing facility, Turbine, with CEO Emma Greenhatch and local producer Karen Martin, Yanalla Farms.

The precinct will be home to local food and beverage companies, allowing them to utilise shared warehousing and logistics, an education and training centre, advanced research and development capabilities as well as a collaborative high-tech manufacturing facility.

Rail

BUDGET INITIATIVES

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS

More than 12,530 Welcome to Fairfax letters sent to newly enrolled voters.

More than 5,415 birthday cards sent to celebrate key milestone birthdays of constituents.

More than 88 congratulatory certificates and letters sent to celebrate constituent anniversaries and major personal milestones, including thirty-three to mark 100th year and one to mark 105th year birthdays.

46 young sports people received Local Sporting Champion grants.

More than $47 million was granted to 51 local groups and individuals in Fairfax.

More than 75 flags made available to community organisations and individuals across Fairfax.

One-off

Ted sat on 8 parliamentary related committees in his role as an MP.

Over 25,000 emails received by Ted’s office.

21,396 letters sent to those households directly affected by the February floods and more than 850 emails went to businesses and community groups.

Ted and Pastor Dale Dowler from The Shack cut the ribbon on the first Men’s Homeless Shelter on the Coast, thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Federal LNP Government secured by Ted.