Federal Election 2022: Barnaby Joyce and Colin Boyce announce upgrades for Lowmead and Cracow roads

The Coalition will fund $14m of upgrades in the Flynn electorate which Barnaby Joyce says will fix roads forgotten by the state government and councils. See where the upgrades will take place.

Two unsealed and neglected roads in the Gladstone region will receive a face lift as the Coalition announces $14m for rural roads which support industry.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce joined LNP candidate for Flynn, Colin Boyce on Monday to announce $14m of funding to upgrade Lowmead Rd and Cracow Rd as part of the Remote Roads Upgrade Pilot Program.

The Coalition is targeting regional and remote roads across the country it says “will not win an election” but are often forgotten.

It comes as The Observer identified council and state government roads across the region which readers named and shamed as “unsafe”.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce joined LNP candidate for Flynn Colin Boyce and KJP Haulage Director Kirk Porter to announce almost $15m of funding to fix vital roads for industry in Gladstone Region. Picture: Nilsson Jones

Mr Joyce said the Coalition had done its homework to find roads neither councils nor the state government would look at but were vital for industries, such as cattle farmers, and the communities they support.

“There might not be a lot of people who live out in places such as Birdsville, but there is an awful lot of cattle and cattle earns our nation money … and the people who do live out there are entitled to a better road,” Mr Joyce said.

“It’s starts making a real difference, now we’re not going to win an election on it but it does show that we have a focus for those at the edge and an understanding of the economics that pays our nation’s bills.”

The funding is part of the pilot program which has dedicated $150m to upgrading more than 30 roads across rural Australia.

Deputy Prime Minister Joyce said the funding would go towards regional communities which support industries such as cattle as they deserve safe roads too. Picture: NewsCorp

The announcement will dedicate $10.7 million for the Lowmead Road Safety and Sealing Upgrade and $3.3 million for an upgrade of Cracow Road.

It comes as Mr Joyce denied locals cared about issues such as a federal integrity commission or controversial comments by Liberal candidate, Katherine Deves, and instead said they wanted better roads and a Burns Unit for Gladstone Hospital.

Mr Boyce said the Coalition understood the importance of reliable roads in regional areas.

LNP candidate for Flynn Colin Boyce at KJP Haulage to announce almost $15m of funding to fix vital roads for industry in Gladstone Region. Picture: Nilsson Jones

“Remote roads are out of sight for most people, but they are crucial links for this region, and this funding will keep locals moving from A to B, getting them to their destination sooner and safely,” Mr Boyce said.

“These projects will also create new jobs, supporting our economic recovery and generating new opportunities across Flynn.”