Central Queensland slams federal budget for “forgetting” beef roads

A trucking company owner is hopeful the federal government will inject funding into Queensland’s beef corridors, despite being “forgotten” in the budget.

While the money for the Beef Corridor Roads is still on the table, there are still calls for the upgrades on the roads to begin.

For any driver a simple flat tyre could seem as a minor inconvenience, but for a truck driver carting heavy loads of cattle it can halt getting parts of the $1.7 billion beef industry to its destination.

But with negotiations as to when the Beef Corridor Roads will be fixed still underway, one driver is pushing for “the sooner, the better”.

The issue of the beef roads kicked up some dust in February after senate estimates revealed funding for the $400 million Beef Corridor Roads had been pushed out to 2027-2028 and into the 2030s.

The news sparked outrage from Central Queensland MPs and mayors who were under the impression the works to fix the roads would begin next year.

A map of the Queensland Beef Corridor Roads.

The project includes $300m, to seal 457km of roads across seven local government areas, including the Alpha Rd in Clermont, May Downs Rd, Kilcummin-Diamond Downs Rd, Alpha-Tambo Rd, Dawson Developmental Rd, Fitzroy Developmental Rd from Bauhinia to Duaringa and from Bauhinia to Taroom, Duaringa-Apis Creek Rd, and Glenroy Road Corridor.

A further $100m is to go towards expanding heavy vehicle corridors on the Burnett, Leichhardt and Dawson highways.

In March, the Queensland Beef Corridors group of councils welcomed news that the state government would develop and progressively deliver $500 million of upgrades to “priority road corridors” to support the beef industry.

Gracemere Livestock Transport owner and the vice president and central region field officer of the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association Queensland, Alister Clarke, said he understood the beef road corridors were still under negotiation and hadn’t been thrown out.

He said he was hoping to hear news on approvals soon, and a solution sooner rather than later was “definitely” preferred.

“It does take a bit of a toll with maintenance high on the vehicles,” he said.

“Drivers are forever getting things fixed because of how the roads are, getting flat tyres and it’s taking a lot longer to get jobs done.

“It makes productivity not as good as it should be, productivity is the biggest thing.”

Alister Clarke.

A Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts spokesman said the government “understands the importance of regional Queensland”.

“Which is why we have brought forward funding to support the delivery of Queensland Beef Corridors and released construction funding for the Inland Freight Route (Mungindi to Charters Towers),” the spokesman said.

“Central Queensland is already benefiting from development and progressive delivery of $500 million of upgrades to priority road corridors to support Queensland’s beef industry, to be kickstarted by an early works package focused on initial priorities as announced by the Queensland Government on 13 March.

“The Queensland Government is consulting local councils on the delivery of this program of works and the Australian Government’s funding will flow once the projects are ready to proceed.

“The Australian Government will continue to work alongside the Queensland Government to deliver priority land transport infrastructure for all Queenslanders.”

One of Central Queensland’s Federal MPs claims the region was “forgotten” in this week’s budget, after money for the beef corridors road network was seemingly left out of the document.

Capricornia MP Michelle Landry dubbed her electorate the “land of the forgotten” after funding for the Beef Corridors was not reinstated when Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the budget on Tuesday night.

Ms Landry and her colleagues Colin Boyce and Matt Canavan, as well as seven Central Queensland mayors, made multiple calls for the funding to be reinstated after it was revealed the upgrades to the Beef Corridor Roads would be delayed.

Capricornia MP Michelle Landry described her electorate as the “land of the forgotten” after the federal budget was handed down. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“Despite the Prime Minister declaring before the election that ‘no one would be held back, no one would be left behind’, this budget has proved him wrong,” she said.

“What we have seen in the Budget is regional funding for critical infrastructure projects slashed.

“Alongside my colleagues, I have been lobbying for the money for Beef Corridors road network to be reinstated. That has not been delivered. Dangerous rural roads and the notorious Bruce Highway between Rockhampton and Sarina will deteriorate further, with the $467 million promised just days ago being funnelled into southeast Queensland.”

Isaac Regional Council Mayor and chair of Queensland Beef Corridors Kelly Vea Vea said while it was disappointing Beef Corridor Roads had been seemingly left out this time round, the seven council group would continue their unified push to bring forward the $400 million funding commitment.

Isaac Regional Council Mayor and Queensland Beef Corridors Chair Kelly Vea Vea.

“This funding is indispensable, considering that the agricultural sector in Central Queensland contributes a significant $1.7 billion annually to the national economy,” she said.

“Our focus remains on facilitating the seamless transportation of our beef from the paddock to the plate, and this program is pivotal in ensuring that we invest in the infrastructure necessary to keep our cattle moving.”

Banana Shire Council Mayor Nev Ferrier said while he wasn’t expecting the funding to be mentioned in this budget, he and the mayors of the Queensland Beef Corridors would continue to have conversations with the Federal Government when they go to Canberra in July.

Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Tony Williams said he was glad the funding had been retained and the Queensland Beef Corridors group of councils would continue to work with both levels of government on the delivery of the upgrades.

“The beef corridors are critical to connecting local producers with markets and making sure these routes are safe and efficient,” he said.

“We’re working with both levels of government on how this investment is delivered and getting these projects started as soon as practicable.”