Mackay Whitsunday Bruce Highway road upgrades left lagging

There is no concrete plan to upgrade the Bruce Highway in the Whitsundays despite the stretch regularly going under water while a key $350 million project for Mackay remains in the waiting line.

There is no concrete plan to upgrade the Bruce Highway in the Whitsundays despite the stretch regularly going under water during typical summer rainfalls. Picture: Contributed/Heidi Petith/ Robert Murolo

There is no concrete plan to upgrade the Bruce Highway in the Whitsundays despite the stretch regularly going under water during typical summer rainfalls.

After the highway was cut for four days at Goorganga Plains, south of Proserpine, in January this year, Roads Minister Mark Bailey flew north to inspect the damage.

He barely made it to the halfway point from Mackay and then told this publication the federal and state government had allocated $15 million on a 80:20 basis to fund a business case to plan and preserve a corridor at Goorganga Plains.

Now a Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman has revealed the business case was finalised in mid-2023 and was waiting on the federal government’s approval.

She said the project was “not currently funded for design or construction” and “planning outcomes will inform future investment decisions”.

This is despite the area having received more than 500mm of rain in a month on six prior occasions over the past 11 years, according to rainfall figures recorded by the Bureau, including 954mm in January this year, 803mm in January, 2019, and 936mm in February, 2012.

Dawson MP Andrew Willcox has pleaded with the state government to not further delay the project.

“I’ll be there holding their feet in the fire to make sure that happens,” Mr Willcox said.

FLOODING ‘LANDLOCKS’ WHITSUNDAYS, CREATES ‘CHAOS’

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall said pockets of the Whitsundays including Airlie Beach were “landlocked” during heavy rainfalls and flooding with holiday goers either unable to arrive or becoming stranded.

“The uncertainty creates frustration for visitors, chaos for our record-breaking Whitsunday Coast Airport and a poor perception of the Whitsundays as a tourism destination,” Ms Hall said.

Drone images of flooding at Thompson's Creek on the Bruce Highway at Goorganga Plains looking north on January 15 2023. Photos: Robert Murolo

Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development opposition spokeswoman Senator Bridget McKenzie said the Albanese government’s funding cuts was going to make it “harder and harder to convince the state government in regional projects”.

“Regional projects don’t just mean benefits to local communities, they actually drive productivity benefits for the whole state,” Ms McKenzie said.

Transport and Roads Minister Mark Bailey meeting with Road Tek crew members (from left) Tyrone Russo, Chris Field, Andrew McGlashan, Ron Kirk and Red Tessmer along the Bruce Highway near Calen on Thursday, January 19, 2023, as part of his inspection following the rainfall event in North Queensland. Picture: Heidi Petith

MORE PROJECTS LAGGING IN THE WAITING LINE

In Mackay, another pivotal infrastructure project is lagging in the business case waiting line.

The spokeswoman said the case for the $350 million Mackay Port Access Road, otherwise known as the Ring Road Stage 2, was scheduled to be finalised in mid-2024.

“However, time frames for delivery will be confirmed following our review and assessment of the Australian Government’s initial recommendations,” she said.

A preliminary map showing the Mackay Port Access Road. Picture: Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Earlier this month, the federal government infuriated its state Labor counterparts after announcing it would no longer honour a 80:20 funding commitment, instead insisting the states cough up 50 per cent of project costs.

But the state government is pushing ahead on spending $107 million on early works to build the Inland Freight Route despite the escalating funding war.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will on Tuesday reveal the government will maintain its commitment to the $1bn Inland Freight Route from Mungindi to Charters Towers – which she has dubbed a “second Bruce” Highway.

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox MP and Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, Opposition leader for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development were visiting the Whitsundays Gold Coffee to meet the community and talk about the state of the Bruce Highway and the federal review on infrastructure funding on November 22, 2023. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

‘ENSURING QUEENSLAND NO WORSE OFF’

The TMR spokeswoman said their focus was on “ensuring Queensland (was) no worse off” under the new arrangement and the 80:20 deal would stay with non-urban corridors including the Bruce Highway.

“TMR is working closely with the federal government on the outcomes of the (Independent Review into the Infrastructure Investment Program) to understand the impacts and implications for Queensland projects,” she said.

Road Tek crews were busy patching potholes along the Bruce Highway after January 2023 rainfalls closed the road at several points including at Bowen and Proserpine. Picture: Heidi Petith

She added TMR had also completed the detailed design phase for overtaking lanes on the Bruce Highway at Goorganga Plains but the project was not funded for construction.

TMR has also completed the detailed design for overtaking lanes on the Bruce Highway at Goorganga Plains. However, the project is not currently funded for construction.

This publication contacted federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King but did not receive a response.

Earlier Ms King said the state government had clearly and deliberately announced projects it did not have funding for in what “can only be described, frankly, as economic vandalism”.