ONE of the duties of Federal, State and local governments is to ensure that infrastructure is in place to keep pace with a region's development.

Since the 1980s, all levels of government have sadly failed the Sunshine Coast, especially when it comes to transport.

In 1987 residents could go and see the plans for the railway line from Beerwah to Maroochydore and on to Maroochy Airport and we were told the railway would be operational by 2001.

This project was called CAMCOS and cost tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

Everyone thought at last we were going to get a public transport connection to Brisbane from the Coast.

Even the Sunshine Motorway was built with bridges to accommodate the railway by Maroochy Blvd.

A few months ago I heard, and saw an artist's impression, of the QR rail line going behind Bunnings and curving into Maroochydore.

Yet last week there was nothing from the State Government in their forecast about public transport from the Sunshine Coast's coastal population belt to Brisbane.

All levels of government have to realise that with the explosion of development on the Sunshine Coast, most people of working age have to go to greater Brisbane for employment and use the Third World Bruce Hwy.

Forget the crazy "light rail” project that will just service a few residents between Caloundra and Maroochydore and, I understand, will cost in excess of $2 billion.

The Sunshine Coast needs a public transport system that is intra-Coast, as well as connecting the Coast to Brisbane and rail is the only answer.

If QR cannot operate the system then ask operators such as Virgin Rail to operate the trains.

Globally, governments are upgrading or building new rail networks while in Australia our rail network goes into decay.

It is very sad to see Australia falling further and further behind globally.

It seems all levels of government in Australia take forever to make a decision and then it takes decades to build anything that in other countries takes just months to build.

The exception I see is the NSW Government and its rebuild of the Pacific Hwy to dual carriageway throughout.

Unless all levels of government get together and immediately commence the rail line to Maroochydore we will find that within a few years we will have a seven-day-a-week gridlock within the Coast and especially on the Bruce Hwy.

We need politicians who are decision-makers for the future and not caretakers as most are at present .

Politicians look at what the politicians of the late 1890s, early 1900s achieved in building Queensland and then look at your own achievements in the 21st Century.

KEN COULTER

Ilkley