Bruce Highway upgrades stalled by PM’s 50:50 funding move – Peter Dutton

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of stalling upgrades to the Bruce Highway by hamstringing Queensland with the 50:50 funding split.

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of stalling upgrades to the Bruce Highway by hamstringing Queensland with the 50:50 funding split.

Mr Dutton this morning said the 50:50 rule had been designed “probably for the projects not to go ahead because they know that Queensland can’t afford to put the 50 per cent in”.

“So it’s a stalling process,” he said.

The Coalition yesterday committed to reinstating the traditional 80:20 funding split to help get critical upgrades to the Bruce Highway finished.

Mr Dutton said the state government had “spent so much money” on the public service during Labor’s decade in power, which had led to less available funding for infrastructure projects to cope with Queensland’s booming population growth.

“That means that we can’t spend money on the tunnels or the road projects that we would want to,” he said.

“I think it’s why a lot of people in regional areas particularly north of, say, Gympie or from (the) Sunshine Coast North are, you know, very angry, frankly, about the lack of investment that’s been made into the Bruce Highway.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to return the funding split to 80:20 if the Coalition is elected at the next federal election. (Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Premier Steven Miles dodged questions over whether he would be willing to work with Peter Dutton on reinstating the 80:20 split, instead accusing the LNP of planning to cut thousands of public servants to pay for infrastructure.

“Peter Dutton has made it clear that a David Crisafulli LNP government will cut thousands of public servants to pay for their budget blackhole,” he said.

“It’s public servants who plan and build the critical infrastructure our state needs as it grows.”

Mr Miles said his government could simultaneously boost its frontline workforce while upgrading the deadly highway.

“We can and must do both,” he said

“Invest in new infrastructure, while hiring the doctors, nurses, police, teachers, ambos, firies and frontline workers Queensland needs.”

Dismissing any indication he would need help from the other side of government, Mr Miles said he would continue to focus on working with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Federal Infrastructure Catherine King on “fast tracking” priority upgrades.

“Right now there are 15 major upgrades under construction on the Bruce Highway, 27 in design and a further 21 in planning,” he said.

“We’re getting on with the job.”

Tens of billions of dollars are spent on Queensland’s public service payroll each year, with the sector growing by 25,000 employees since 2020 -90 per cent of which are frontline staff.

The Federal Opposition Leader also says he would reduce migration by 25 per cent for two years to allow Australia to catch up on housing infrastructure demand.

Mr Dutton called out the CFMEU for driving up building costs with productivity across the country now sitting at an 11 year low alongside high migration.

“We need to be unashamed in saying that we want homes built for Australians first,” he said.

But the Coalition Leader indicated Bruce funding would be a top priority if he becomes Prime Minister in 2025, saying delays to upgrades had been “catastrophic”.

“If the federal government has had a practice of putting 80 over 20 into a New South Wales or a Victorian highway, then it should be the same case for a Queensland national highway,” he said.