Government pushes revised range crossing

The Newman Government will continue to put pressure on Canberra to secure funding for the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, saying it will create jobs and support development in the region. 

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said today the Second Range Crossing remained one of the State Government’s top three infrastructure priorities, along with the Bruce Highway and Cross River Rail in Brisbane. 

“A Second Range Crossing will be the gateway to the Surat Basin, where an estimated $30 billion worth of mining and development projects are planned or underway,” Mr Seeney said. 

“The road would be underpinned by the existing agricultural industry and this significant expansion of the resources sector. 

“It’s anticipated that the Gross Regional Product from the resource sector in the basin will more than double by 2031, from an estimated $11.1 billion in 2011, with the most rapid increase taking place between 2014 and 2018.”  

Mr Seeney said Queensland lagged behind Victoria and NSW when it came to federal investment in transport infrastructure and this needed to be rectified. 

“This section of the Warrego Highway is part of the national land transport network on the Brisbane-Darwin and Melbourne-Brisbane corridors,” he said. 

“It is a key component of the supply chain connecting the Surat Basin with international gateways and the labour and services supply market in South-East Queensland.” 

The Member for Toowoomba South, Agriculture Minister John McVeigh, who represented the Premier at today's Seal the Deal Forum in Toowoomba, said the second range crossing was vital to support the growth of the region and for the Queensland and national economies. 

"We went to the polls last year with a commitment to revise the business case for securing Commonwealth support, and we’ve delivered on that pledge,” Mr McVeigh said. 

“The updated business case, developed by Projects Queensland, focuses on cost and feasibility, and is now with the Federal Infrastructure Minister and Infrastructure Australia for consideration for inclusion on its priority list. 

“A second range crossing will play a critical role in future development of the region.” 

Member for Toowoomba North, Trevor Watts said a second crossing would improve safety and liveability in Toowoomba by removing heavy freight vehicles from the CBD. 

Around 23,000 vehicles travel on the existing route across the range daily. 

Member for Lockyer Ian Rickuss said a second range crossing would create several thousand construction jobs within the region and several hundred ongoing positions. 

[ENDS] 8 February 2013

Media Contacts:        John Wiseman (Minister Seeney) 0409 791 281

Lachlan Miller (Minister McVeigh) 0407 394 580