Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has accused the Turnbull Government of trying to tell her state what's good for it over a proposed high-speed rail line to the Sunshine Coast.
The proposed multi-billion dollar fast rail line could take passengers from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast in just 45 minutes and has the backing of the Liberal National Party's 26 federal Queensland MPs.
The line is the only Queensland project to progress to stage 2 assessment as part of the federal government's $10 billion national rail program.
Ms Palaszczuk on Thursday criticised the federal government for dismissing her state Labor government's priorities, including the $5 billion Cross River Rail project it refused to fund.
"That's the way the federal government works, trying to tell Queensland what's good for Queensland," she told reporters on the Gold Coast.
"We will tell the federal government what we believe our priorities are.
"We know they have turned a blind eye to Cross River Rail, that's our key priority, so we're going it alone on building it.
Ms Palaszczuk warned the additional rail infrastructure would suffer without Cross River Rail and that it could cost "billions and billions and billions of dollars", despite not yet seeing details of the proposal.
Fairfax MP Ted O'Brien said the infrastructure would broaden employment and study opportunities and enable varied lifestyle choices.
He said connecting the new Maroochydore CBD development and new Sunshine Coast international airport to fast rail would deliver huge economic and social benefits to the region.
"It would open up tourism options and further reduce congestion on the Bruce Highway.
"And, of course, it provides a dream opportunity to revitalise the town of Nambour."
Mr O'Brien said the business case would investigate taking fast rail firstly from Brisbane through to Nambour within five years and then to the coast via the Caboolture to Maroochydore line in ten.
He will discuss the proposal with Transport Minister Mark Bailey next week.
Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher is expected to announce which projects will progress to stage three assessment, which will involve a detailed business case, next month.
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