New funding needed as Bruce bidding starts
Published Wednesday, 24 April, 2013 at 06:48 AM
Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
The Newman Government has welcomed the opening bids in the decade-long effort to improve safety, capacity and flood mitigation on the Bruce Highway.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson will today review commitments from Federal Labor to identify any new funding required to kickstart important projects.
“New funding, not recycled announcements, ahead of this year’s Federal election will be the key to delivering for one of Queensland’s most notorious national roads,” Mr Emerson said.
“New funding would allow work to progress on some of the 25 additional projects highlighted in our Bruce Highway Action Plan, delivered in October last year.
“New funding for this 10-year blueprint is crucial to delivering the capacity, safety and flood mitigation projects to bring this 1700 km lifeline up to a respectable standard.
“The Newman Government has promised $1 billion in additional funding over the next 10 years, and now we need both Federal Labor and the Federal Coalition to step up and meet their usual 80-20 commitment.
“I’ll be calling on the Federal Government to meet their traditional split for new funding, providing a total of $5 billion in additional funding for the Bruce Highway over the next decade.
“While I welcome the opening bid from the Prime Minister, it is only a start if we are to prevent hundreds of deaths on the Bruce Highway over the next decade.”
Mr Emerson also called on the Federal Coalition to commit to the Bruce Highway.
“This is one of the most crucial pieces of transport infrastructure in Queensland, stretching from Cairns to Brisbane,” he said.
“The Bruce Highway accounts for 17 per cent of fatalities, yet only 7.5 per cent of the National Highway.
New and existing projects are listed on page 9 of the Bruce Highway Action Plan. The plan is available at
http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/About%20us/Corporate%20information/Publications/BruceHighwayActionPlan.pdf
[ENDS] 24 April 2013