Minister to receive preliminary advice next week on Bruce Highway crash
Published Friday, 05 September, 2008 at 02:53 PM
Minister for Main Roads and Local Government
The Honourable Warren Pitt
Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt will receive preliminary advice early next week on whether road factors were associated with yesterday’s multiple-fatality road crash on the Bruce Highway south of Gympie.
Mr Pitt said Main Roads would work closely with police in investigating the road factors related to the crash, including road design, visibility, and the road surface.
“This is a very busy section of road, and there has been a history of crashes over the last 10 years or so.
“At this early stage of investigations it would not appear that road surfacing and design were contributing factors in yesterday’s crash. This will need to be confirmed, however, following more detailed inspections and inquiries.”
Mr Pitt said he was disappointed with attempts by the Liberal National Party to blame the Queensland Government for the road crash.
He said comments by the Liberal National Party’s deputy Leader Fiona Simpson today in the wake of the crash took political point-scoring to a new low.
“These claims from the Liberal National Party trying to lay blame for the accident and the loss of lives at the Queensland Government’s door really are quite appalling,” Mr Pitt said.
“It’s sheer hypocrisy for Ms Simpson and the Liberal National Party to be accusing the Queensland Government of being to blame for this tragic road crash.
“The Bruce Highway is a federal funding responsibility, and it was a federal Liberal National Party Government that was in office for 10 years up until late last year.
“Has Ms Simpson picked up the phone and spoken to her local Federal National Party colleague, Warren Truss, and asked him why he sat on his hands for 10 years and did nothing to move this project forward?
“Ms Simpson’s claim that the Queensland Government has been missing in action on the Cooroy–Curra section of the Bruce Highway is simply untrue.
“Two months ago, the Queensland Government finalised a planning study for a major upgrade of the Bruce Highway from Cooroy to Curra, and submitted this to the Federal Government.
“I have spoken with the Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese about this project. I have highlighted to him the serious crash history of this stretch of road, and how this project needs to proceed as a matter of priority.
“Additionally, the Queensland Government is proceeding with a section of this project that is going to be affected by construction of the proposed Traveston Dam.
”Subject to Federal Government approval for the dam, work on this 11km section, costing in the vicinity of $500 million, will get underway next year, and will be completed by mid to late 2011.
“The Queensland Government is also in the process of implementing a $2.8 million program utilising technology-assisted signage and cameras for the Cooroy-Gympie section of highway to help reduce the incidence of road crashes.
Mr Pitt said Ms Simpson had also resorted to blatant untruths with the claims “the Howard Government approved $700 million in funding for this upgrade last year” but “the Rudd Government had now slashed this to only $200 million.”
“Ms Simpson knows full well that the Howard Government never approved $700 million in funding.
“This $700 million only ever had the status of a coalition election promise.
“It was an election promise tossed on the table during last year’s federal election campaign. It was not part of the Howard Government budget, nor was it ever part of any Howard government roads funding program.”
“It is pure deceit on Ms Simpson’s part to portray this as formally approved government funding.”
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819
Mr Pitt said Main Roads would work closely with police in investigating the road factors related to the crash, including road design, visibility, and the road surface.
“This is a very busy section of road, and there has been a history of crashes over the last 10 years or so.
“At this early stage of investigations it would not appear that road surfacing and design were contributing factors in yesterday’s crash. This will need to be confirmed, however, following more detailed inspections and inquiries.”
Mr Pitt said he was disappointed with attempts by the Liberal National Party to blame the Queensland Government for the road crash.
He said comments by the Liberal National Party’s deputy Leader Fiona Simpson today in the wake of the crash took political point-scoring to a new low.
“These claims from the Liberal National Party trying to lay blame for the accident and the loss of lives at the Queensland Government’s door really are quite appalling,” Mr Pitt said.
“It’s sheer hypocrisy for Ms Simpson and the Liberal National Party to be accusing the Queensland Government of being to blame for this tragic road crash.
“The Bruce Highway is a federal funding responsibility, and it was a federal Liberal National Party Government that was in office for 10 years up until late last year.
“Has Ms Simpson picked up the phone and spoken to her local Federal National Party colleague, Warren Truss, and asked him why he sat on his hands for 10 years and did nothing to move this project forward?
“Ms Simpson’s claim that the Queensland Government has been missing in action on the Cooroy–Curra section of the Bruce Highway is simply untrue.
“Two months ago, the Queensland Government finalised a planning study for a major upgrade of the Bruce Highway from Cooroy to Curra, and submitted this to the Federal Government.
“I have spoken with the Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese about this project. I have highlighted to him the serious crash history of this stretch of road, and how this project needs to proceed as a matter of priority.
“Additionally, the Queensland Government is proceeding with a section of this project that is going to be affected by construction of the proposed Traveston Dam.
”Subject to Federal Government approval for the dam, work on this 11km section, costing in the vicinity of $500 million, will get underway next year, and will be completed by mid to late 2011.
“The Queensland Government is also in the process of implementing a $2.8 million program utilising technology-assisted signage and cameras for the Cooroy-Gympie section of highway to help reduce the incidence of road crashes.
Mr Pitt said Ms Simpson had also resorted to blatant untruths with the claims “the Howard Government approved $700 million in funding for this upgrade last year” but “the Rudd Government had now slashed this to only $200 million.”
“Ms Simpson knows full well that the Howard Government never approved $700 million in funding.
“This $700 million only ever had the status of a coalition election promise.
“It was an election promise tossed on the table during last year’s federal election campaign. It was not part of the Howard Government budget, nor was it ever part of any Howard government roads funding program.”
“It is pure deceit on Ms Simpson’s part to portray this as formally approved government funding.”
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819