The resurgence of Pauline Hanson's One Nation in Queensland is pushing for the axing of Brisbane's Cross River Rail project. The party's leader in Queensland, Steve Dickson, claims that according to Infrastructure Australia the Cross River Rail project would not be needed until 2036. RMIT ABC Fact Check found Mr Dickson's claim is spin. Infrastructure Australia's report on Cross River Rail retains the project on its Infrastructure Priority List as a High Priority Initiative. Infrastructure experts approached by Fact Check expressed mixed opinions as to whether the report was saying that the project was "not needed" until 2036. Some experts disputed Infrastructure Australia's assessment of the Queensland Government's timeframe, while all experts agreed that south-east Queensland's emerging rail capacity problem was more urgent than Infrastructure Australia had assessed it to be and that Cross River Rail would address the problem. They said that delaying construction could lead to increased costs, and missed opportunities for developments around proposed station precincts, and that a construction period of at least six years would mean the Government would need to get started soon.
Verdict: Spin