Kennedy Developmental Rd will be fixed, Prime Minister assures
“We will fix it... I assure you”. The Prime Minister’s words in parliament in response to an urgent call regarding North Queensland’s vulnerable road networks.
Cairns
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A major contributor to North Queensland’s empty supermarket shelves could be solved with the Prime Minister stating he “will fix” the region’s back-up highway.
Heavy vehicles headed to Cairns from Mackay were being advised to travel as far west as Cloncurry and Normanton in a bid to avoid road closures as metres of rain fell over parts of North Queensland.
With the Bruce Hwy cut in multiple locations, including the collapse of the Ollera Creek bridge, and the back up inland route – Kennedy Developmental Rd – closed due to flooding at an unsealed 10.8km section, wholesalers struggled moving goods into the north.
Even this week – supermarket shelves remain bare as trucks navigate fluid road conditions on the Bruce Hwy, forcing the Australian Defence Force to help fly freight into the region.
On Thursday, what could possibly be the final sitting day of federal parliament under this government, Kennedy MP Bob Katter by indulgence, made a statement on the North Queensland floods, describing the event as one of the worst in the nation’s history.
After giving the Prime Minister a geography lesson on the region’s mountain ranges, oceans and road networks, Mr Katter called for “great urgency” towards completing the remaining unsealed 10.8km of the Kennedy Developmental Rd – a project he acknowledged Anthony Albanese started.
“We should be prepared for it (the road closures), any civilised nation would’ve looked after the half million people that are there and have been in great jeopardy for the last two weeks,” Mr Katter said.
Mr Albanese responded to Mr Katter’s statement by noting the Kennedy Developmental Rd was a “great example of stuff that needs to be done better.”
“There’s 10km of that road is still dirt. We will fix it, we will fix it, we have funding provided for it and that will be fixed,” he said.
“The Kennedy Developmental Rd I assure you will be done.”
Mr Albanese went onto praise the Etheridge Shire Council for its use of local knowledge to replace the bridge over the Einasleigh River, where the local government reportedly managed to construct three bridges, from a budget allocated for just one.
“I’ve spoken with the (Queensland) Premier about the same approach to make sure that the bureaucrats either in the capital city here (Canberra) or the capital city in Queensland listen to people on the ground, particularly the people in local government because that is how you can get things done,” he said in reference to repairing infrastructure along the Bruce Hwy, in the wake of the severe weather.
Cairns based senator Nita Green welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement.
“This is great news. I’ve been advocating for investment in the Kennedy Developmental Rd because I know how important it is for our community,” she said.
“It’s a vital corridor, especially when we’re facing floods.”
The road has long been on the priority list for Advance Cairns with chief executive Jacinta Reddan thanking the “collective effort” of advocacy.
“The empty supermarket shelves speak volumes … this must not be repeated and Advance Cairns calls for the work to be undertaken in the coming dry season.”
Cairns pharmacist and national guild president Trent Twomey who was previously on the board of Advance Cairns said the announcement was a win not just for North Queenslanders, but “for Australia”.
“It’s a shorter trip for our producers to get their product to market inland to Melbourne, but especially for the people that live in North Queensland, when the Bruce Hwy cuts, we can’t get medicines in our pharmacies, we can’t get fruit and vege and essentials in our supermarkets and the for the first time ever we will have a fully sealed inland highway.”
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Originally published as Kennedy Developmental Rd will be fixed, Prime Minister assures
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