A sod turning ceremony was held on Wednesday to officially recognise further sealing of the Hann Highway – which will better link up the produce of the north to the markets in the south.
The new work begins 74 kilometres north of Hughenden. The trucks and gravel is ready and the work camp is being prepared. Etheridge and Flinders Shire Councils work on the projects.
$53.3 million has been allocated to seal 42 kms of the highway north of Hughenden. The federal government funds $42.66 million under the Northern Australia Roads Program, and the state government contributes $10.6 million.
This is the largest amount of funding allocated for the highway, said Flinders Shire mayor Jane McNamara, who is a member of the Northern Australia Advisory Council.
She said that with the funding the council will be able to seal two unsealed sections of the highway. “It is very significant for us because we have 110 people on our workforce...this roadworks makes us more than our general rates, so for us this is very significant.
“We’re trying to do the meat processing plant and we need the cattle to come down this road.
“It’s a nation building road.”
Mount Isa State MP Rob Katter said the project meant hundreds of jobs in the next few years while up to 80 kilometres of the highway is sealed. He said it had been “a real people’s push”, which included the creation of a postcard, to lobby politicians on the need to seal it.
“It’s 600 km safer from a trip from Cairns to Melbourne for a four billion fruit and vegetable industry up there that goes down to those markets,” Mr Katter said.
“This is prosperity and jobs right now for people in shires.”
Minister for Northern Australia Matthew Canavan said improving the highway was important for the national agenda.
“When you think we don’t really have a proper inland route from our north to our south 116 years on from being a commonwealth, it’s a bit of a disgrace,” Senator Canavan said.
“While this is an important road for local people here and we have worked really hard to make sure local councils have a crack at the works, employing local people, the real reason we are interested in an Australian Government level is the national priorities for our country.”
After this all that remains to be sealed is 33 kms on the Torres Creek-Aramac Road.
Flinders Shire Councillor Bill Bode said the community would continue to push for the completion of the highway.
“214 km has been done. We just need the other 33,” he said. “The banana trucks travel five to 20 kilometres an hour because it is so rough most of the time.”
“It takes an hour to do that 30 clicks. If it is bitumen (we) can do it in 20 minutes.”
