CQ powers with $625 million road boost

Central Queensland will see a $625 million road funding boost over the next five years.

It’s part of a record $13.3 billion five-year statewide Roads Implementation Program launched today by Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Paul Lucas.

“It delivers a massive $1.75 billion, or 15% increase on last year’s program to keep Queensland moving and booming,” Mr Lucas said.

“Almost 2,500 road projects are contained in the program, including 99 which are new, to be built statewide over the next five years.

"The funding boost is even more impressive when you compare the estimated expenditure over the next five years with spending over the past five years.

“It’s a total increase of $5.3 billion over five years, or 67 per cent,'' Mr Lucas said.

“We are committed to delivering the projects that make our roads safer and help meet the needs of a growing state.

“Driven by the booming mining sector, Central Queensland continues to be the state’s economic powerhouse.

“The region needs road infrastructure to help underpin that growth – and this record program delivers that infrastructure.

“All up, the Queensland and Australian governments will spend than $298 million on Central Queensland roads over the next two years,” Mr Lucas said.

Key projects funded this financial year and 2008-09 financial years include:

·Completion of the $78.9 million project to rehabilitate and widen 71km of the Dawson Highway between Calliope and Banana, and replace 11 timber bridges in Central Queensland

·$7 million to strengthen a stretch of the Burnett Highway (Biloela – Mt Morgan) at Don River South

·$5.38 million to complete strengthening and widening of the Capricorn Highway (Duaringa - Emerald), west of Yamala, at a total cost of $8.87 million.

·More than $6 million to widen the Leichhardt Highway between the Dawson River at Theodore and Twelve Mile Creek and north of Dawson Park Road

·$2.86 million for Barcoo Shire Council to pave and seal the Yaraka-Retreat Road.

·$2.75 million for Livingstone Shire to build a new access road to Yeppoon's relocated freight facility and for bikeways in Yeppoon and Emu Park

·$1.65 million towards paving and sealing an 8km section of Blackall – Emmet Road in Blackall Shire

·$1.175 million towards paving and sealing Yaraka – Emmet Road in Isisford Shire.

Media Contact: Darren Roberts 3237 1947/ 0448 184566