Before the last election, Anthony Albanese issued a press release titled “Rockhampton Ring Road a Certainty Under Labor”.
Then he became Prime Minister and broke his promise.
Just months after the election, in Anthony Albanese’s first budget, he cut funding for the Rocky Ring Road – an essential upgrade for Rockhampton and the whole region.
Only after a massive community backlash did the Labor party back down and restore funding.
In their next budget, Labor removed the traditional split of – 80 per cent Federal, 20 per cent State – for Bruce Highway funding.
At the same time, they cut another $488 million in funding for the Bruce Highway.
Even the then State Labor Government called them out on this outrageous defunding of Queensland infrastructure.
Now, just months before an election, Labor says they will fund the Bruce Highway.
Labor must think Queensland voters are mugs.
Peter Dutton said back in September that a new Coalition Government would reinstate the 80/20 road funding model that Labor scrapped.
Queensland is the most decentralised state with thousands of kilometres of roads and other transport infrastructure that communities rely on.
As the major north-south corridor connecting Brisbane to the regional centres of Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns, the Bruce Highway supports around 62 per cent of the population in Queensland.
Sadly, the Bruce Highway has an average fatal and serious injury crash rate three to five times higher than any major highway in New South Wales and Victoria.
Yet it wasn’t identified as a priority for further funding following Labor’s infrastructure pipeline review in 2023.
Labor has shown scant regard for Queensland’s regional roads, and it’s taken a crushing defeat at the Queensland polls and a looming Federal election for Anthony Albanese to start listening to community concerns about the Bruce Highway.
The former Coalition government had a strong $10 billion commitment to the Bruce Highway – money that was already allocated to several upgrades and projects.
In addition, the Coalition invested significantly in the inland road network in Queensland to support the efficient and safe movement of people and freight, including more than $1 billion under the Roads of Strategic Importance program – it’s this program that is funding the current upgrade to the Rockhampton – Yeppoon Road.
We also invested $400 million in Beef Roads so that we could finally seal the hundreds of kilometres of roads that our cattle truck drivers and miners must unsafely travel on.
Once again, Labor tried to cut this funding and, again, it was only after a massive reaction from the people of Central Queensland that this decision has been reversed.
It is thanks to the relentless campaigning of local communities, businesses and travellers who have no choice but to use the Bruce Highway that has seen the Albanese Government forced to backflip on funding cuts and restore the 80/20 funding model for the Bruce Highway.
Given people’s experience with Labor breaking its promises on the Bruce in the past, people won’t trust Labor on the Bruce in the future.
The Australian people will judge this Labor government on its performance, not on its promises.
