Overtaking lanes welcome, but flood resilience cannot wait

MEDIA STATEMENT

I welcome the commencement of new overtaking lanes at Goorganga Plains, which will deliver an important safety improvement for motorists travelling between Proserpine and Mackay.

I have been advocating for safety upgrades along this section of the Bruce Highway since my time as Mayor of the Whitsunday Regional Council, and I have continued that advocacy since being elected as the Federal Member for Dawson.

There simply aren't enough safe opportunities to overtake between Proserpine and Mackay, so these new lanes are a welcome step forward.

But we cannot lose sight of the bigger issue facing this stretch of highway, flooding.

The latest announcement confirms that while construction is underway on the overtaking lanes, the major flood resilience works are still only at the design stage.

That is disappointing.

The proposed project would raise around 10.6 kilometres of the Bruce Highway, improve drainage and deliver new bridges and intersection upgrades to keep this critical connection open for longer during major weather events.

After years of flooding, closures and repeated repairs, we should be moving towards construction by now, not still designing the solution.

Every wet season that passes means more disruption for local communities, more uncertainty for freight operators and tourism, and potentially more taxpayer dollars spent repairing infrastructure that we already know needs to be made more resilient.

We have known about the vulnerability of this section of the Bruce Highway for years.

How many more wet seasons do we have to go through before we get on with the job of fixing it properly?

I welcome the investment in passing lanes, and I will continue to support practical safety improvements along the Bruce.

But the Government needs to provide some clarity on the flood resilience project.

Why is it taking so long to get this critical upgrade from design to construction?

Dawson needs a Bruce Highway that is not only safer to drive on when the sun is shining, but one that can keep communities connected when the rain comes.

We don't need another wet season of temporary fixes. We need the long-term infrastructure investment this region deserves.

ENDS

Contact: Amanda Wright | Media & Communications Adviser
P | 07 4944 0662   M | 0455 456 705   E | Amanda.Wright@aph.gov.au