Premier David Crisafulli vows to have Bruce Highway advisory body up and running by end of year

In wake of three deaths on the Bruce Highway in the past 24 hours, new Premier David Crisafulli has vowed to have an advisory body up-and-running by the end of the year.

• Boy, woman killed in Bruce Hwy crash

The state government must do more on the Bruce Highway, Premier David Crisafulli has said, vowing a commitment to have an advisory body up and running by the end of the year is on track.

Mr Crisafulli said fatal crashes on the road sends regional communities into a “real sense of despair”.

It comes after a horror crash at Raglan, near Gladstone, late last night that claimed the lives of a 13-year-old boy and a 40-year-old woman.

A 30-year-old truck driver has since been charged with one count of dangerous operation of motor vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm.

That same night a 31-year-old woman was killed on the Bruce Highway after a crash at Gordonvale in the Cairns region.

An aerial view of the site of the triple fatal at the intersection of Walker St and the Bruce Highway in Maryborough.

“We have to do more on the Bruce and no is suggesting that on a long road like that, that you won’t have incidents, but we can do much better for Queenslanders who drive it,” Mr Crisafulli said today.

“It’s the lifeblood of regional Queensland. It is the only option, and we have to get it up to a standard, because right now, it’s a goat track.”

The LNP had promised, if elected, to reconvene the Bruce Highway Trust Advisory Council by the end of 2024 in order to craft a long-term strategy that Mr Crisafulli said would be “best bang for buck” regardless of electorate politics.

Mr Crisafulli said the moves to reconstitute the body were on track, as per the newly-minted Transport Minister Brent Mickleberg’s ministerial charter letter.

A head on fatal crash on the Bruce Highway at Apple Tree Creek. Photo: Carlie Walker

The charter letter stated the minister would “hold the Federal Government accountable to the longstanding 80:20 funding contribution for the Bruce Highway and provide a long-term upgrade plan to bring the Bruce Highway up to safety standards by reinstating a Bruce Highway Advisory Council”.

In October on the campaign trial, Mr Crisafulli promised to make the next federal election a referendum on funding for the road.

“The next element is to tell Canberra that they have to come back to 80-20 (funding split),” he said at the time.

“And I do note (Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton) has said that he’s going to do that. That’s good, that’s 50 per cent of the deal done.”