Cairns Alternative Transport Corridor

AECOM (on behalf of Cairns Regional Council) 

Summary

Environment North was part of the AECOM team commissioned by Cairns Regional Council to investigate the location of, and criteria for investigating, an alternative transport corridor into Cairns from the south. This investigation will be used in discussion with Queensland Government and Commonwealth Government representatives and will inform the Cairns Region Planning Scheme under development and identify potential impacts on the Mount Peter Master Planning.

Our work focused on an analysis of relevant land use and transport studies undertaken since 2000 in order to provide a context for the current investigation. Thirteen reports were reviewed, ranging from the 2000 Southern Cairns Integrated Land Use and Transport Study and culminating in the Cairns Bruce Highway Upgrade project’s urban Congestion report. The final literature review involved a standard methodology for each study, and this involved:

  • describe the study and the associated land use / project where relevant,
  • identify key decisions that have previously been made and which have led to the current situation,
  • where decisions are yet to be made (i.e. for projects still under consideration), identify the nature of such decisions, and
  • identify any specific implications that the study / project may have for the Alternative Cairns Southern Transport Corridor.

Studies included the FNQ Regional Plan 2009-2031, public transport planning, private developments, and the proposed Edmonton Town Centre and Mount Peter Master Planned Area.

Innovation/Distinguishing Features

The true value of the work is in the identification of “what was decided, what does it mean for the transport needs of the corridor, and how should this be reflected in future planning?”. Providing this information for 13 studies involving thousands of pages of material in under 70 pages is considered to be a worthwhile achievement made possible by Environment North’s long track record in the region’s planning and highly developed analytical skills.