The Federal Government has pledged $730 million for transport infrastructure in North Queensland.
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The funding aims to seal or upgrade around 700km of road to open up the region to more traffic and business as part of a $2.2b budget funding initiative on roads.
The investments will concentrate on strategic corridors that will help spur new business and new jobs in North Queensland, including: Townsville to Tennant Creek - $200 million, Yeppoon to Mount Isa - $190 million, Cooktown to Weipa - $190 million, Townsville to Roma - $100 million and Cairns to the Northern Territory border (Savannah Way) - $50 million.
These road upgrades will help North Queensland recover from some of the worst floods in its history by better connecting western parts of Queensland to the coast.
The Federal Government said it was the first government for decades to invest significantly in east-to-west infrastructure in Queensland, and not just along the coast and there are three key outcomes for the investments:
The first is to create the first sealed inland highway from Cairns to Melbourne by completing the Hann Highway. This will cut 12 hours off the drive from Mareeba to Melbourne meaning greater business for banana, avocado and other fruit and vegetable growing businesses;
The second is to cut costs for Queensland cattle producers and the third is to open up Queensland to more visits from tourists. The investments will upgrade the 3500 kilometre Savannah Way that connects Cairns to Broome, creating greater opportunities for tourists to see Georgetown, Normanton and Burketown, all places that have been hit hard by recent floods.
The new work will provide an inland alternative to the Bruce Highway, offer safer roads for local residents, cut hours in driving time and thousands of dollars in costs for truck drivers, and bring millions of dollars in tourist spending to remote and regional communities.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, said the Roads of Strategic Importance initiative funding would make roads safer and boost productivity.
"By making the freight system more efficient, local businesses will also have more money to invest in their operations, creating more jobs and providing a vital shot in the arm for the agriculture and mining sectors, which are so important to Central and North Queensland jobs and communities," Mr McCormack said.
North Queensland senator Ian Macdonald has welcomed the $200 million for the Townsville to Tennant Creek corridor and would help to create safer roads and cut hours in driving time.
LNP Candidate for Kennedy Frank Beveridge welcomed the funding.
"These roads are the lifeblood of the West. Not only does the construction provide jobs but better roads mean less accidents and better connection to regional towns who so heavily rely on them," Mr Beveridge said.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
