Courier-Mail - Tunnel's Viability Questioned

Australia's new car sales have slumped and one of the world's biggest car manufacturers, General Motors, is in financial chaos.

Population growth is slowing, private car use is at 30-year lows, cheap oil is gone, Brisbane's outer suburbs have become so dependent on cars, the spike in fuel prices and interest rates has had a catastrophic impact on family finances, a Griffith University study says.

But governments are throwing billions of dollars at the roads of southeast Queensland and Brisbane City Council estimates the city's roads will need another $34 billion by 2026.

... There are also serious doubts about the traffic forecasts used to back up Brisbane's high-profile tunnel projects.

... Transport planning researcher at Griffith University Matt Burke asked: "Why would anyone pay to use the tunnels in off-peak periods when they would only save a few minutes?"

Courier-Mail - Linc Energy Quits Queensland

Underground coal gasification hopeful Linc Energy has seen the writing on the wall in Queensland and will transfer plans for its $1 billion gas-to-liquids plant to South Australia.