THE LNP has committed to a $35 million high level bridge over the Boyne River on the southern side of Mundubbera.
The major new bridge will replace a 90 year flood prone, low-level crossing and will complement existing high levels bridges over the Burnett River and Mundubbera and at Gayndah.
It will also remove a recognised danger zone by significantly straightening the Mundubbera-Durong Road.
Announced LNP deputy leader Deb Frecklington alongside LNP candidate for Callide, Colin Boyce, and outgoing member Jeff Seeney, the bridge is regarded as a missing link in the important north-south transport route.
“This bridge is desperately needed because the existing low level crossing does not meet the needs of the modern transport industry or the community,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“It will give agriculture far better access to Wellcamp Airport and provide better access to and from NSW.
“At present trucks are being forced to head down through Esk, unnecessarily adding to the congestion.”
North Burnett mayor Rachel Humphries said the low-level bridge was cut by floodwaters for about three weeks each year. In 2011 the crossing was effectively out of action for 10 weeks.
South Burnett deputy mayor Kathy Duff said a $15m upgrade of a 11km section of the Mundubbera-Durong Road would complete the work.
Ms Frecklington also launched the opposition’s $60m Beef Roads Program, which would see investment in 10 regional road infrastructure projects.
Ms Frecklington said the $60 million Beef Roads Program was a key component of the LNP’s comprehensive State Infrastructure Plan.
“These 10 projects will ensure the growth of our state’s livestock and agricultural industries and facilitate the movement of cattle to ports and processing facilities,” Ms Frecklington said.
“By beefing up our beef roads we will unlock new road freight routes for higher productivity vehicles as well as improving safety, flood and disaster resilience.”
Ms Frecklington said the 10 projects would come under the LNP’s Buy Local policy would ensure local contractors and businesses which wanted to submit a tender to construct these projects did so with the confidence they were competing on a level playing field.
“Labor has failed to support Queensland small businesses, with countless examples of government contracts being awarded to interstate and overseas companies,” she said.
“Our comprehensive Buy Local policy would apply to our Beef Roads Program and we make no apologies for putting local businesses, contractors and jobs first.”
The Beef Road projects are:
- Oakey-Cooyar Road upgrades – $1.5m.
- Bowenville-Moola Road upgrades – $1.5m.
- Oakey-Pittsworth and Warrego Highway Intersection upgrade – $1.5m.
- Mundubbera-Durong Road upgrade – $15m.
- May Downs Road upgrade at Middlemount – $15m.
- Peak Downs Highway passing lanes – $4m.
- Donohue Highway upgrades – $6.5m.
- Springsure-Tambo Road (Dawson Development Road) upgrades – $6m.
- Kilkivan-Tansey Road widening – $5m.
- Alpha-Tambo Road towards sealing – $2.8m.
