Far Northern Roads Need Urgent Attention

Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch says the 2011 RACQ’s Unroadworthy Roads Survey just reinforces the urgent need for a significant funding injection into the Bruce Highway upgrade, especially in the Far North.

“The Bruce Highway is one of the most unroadworthy roads in Australia and this report like many others previous to it states this to be accurate. Year in, year out the Bruce Highway into Cairns is cut off due to flooding. This year due to Cyclone Yasi, the road closures caused massive delays, inconvenience and loss of income to businesses at a time when they needed business the most. Being cut off from the rest of Australia for weeks at a time is totally unacceptable.

“The Bruce Highway is the only main road into our region and it needs to be flood proofed as a matter of priority,” Warren Entsch said.

Mr Entsch condemned the Government for four years of constant funding promises and no delivery.

“The Labor Government has promised to upgrade the Bruce Highway in the Far North since the 2007 election and yet we are still waiting for the work to commence. Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese recently re-announced the upgrade to the Bruce Highway saying it would be ‘fast tracked’ for commencement in three years time. What a joke, I would hate to see this Government’s version of slow,” he said.

Despite the fourth re-announcement only weeks prior to handing down the 2011-12 Federal Budget in May, the Government then failed to make an allocation for upgrading the Bruce Highway this financial year as the nation’s finances are in such appalling shape.

“It is not good enough and we as the entire state of Queensland need to demand urgent attention. Roads have been funded and upgraded in VIC and NSW, but Queensland is continually left behind. The longer the Government takes to fix the highway, the bigger the repair bill will be.

“At the 2010 election I pledged $150 million for Stage 1 of the Bruce Highway upgrade and committed to the establishment of a second access into Cairns, yet Labor has consistently failed to match this or deliver on its own funding commitments.”

Mr Entsch blamed the Labor Government for a lack of maintenance on a variety of roads in the Leichhardt electorate and said the list of unroadworthy roads is disappointing and just echoes the concerns he has been raising with Government Ministers since being elected.

“Leichhardt features heavily in this report which is of great concern to me,” Mr Entsch said.

Leichhardt Roads Needing Attention:
– Mossman-Daintree Road
– Mount Sheridan – Sheehy Road
– Lake Morris Road
– Port Douglas – Miallo Road
– Yorkeys Knob Road
– Cape Tribulation Road
– Captain Cook Highway
– Peninsula Development Road
– Bentley Park – Robert Road

“The LNP Bruce Highway Action Group has been fighting for more Federal Government funding since it was set up in December 2010 and all members of the group are committed to keeping the pressure on until an outcome is achieved.”