South Burnett residents highlight roads and water quality as key issues ahead of federal election

As we head into a federal election, we asked our Facebook followers what the biggest issues facing the South Burnett are right now. Here is what they had to say:

Unsafe road conditions, poor water quality and troubles with accessing healthcare are top issues people in the South Burnett region care about.

Unsafe road conditions and poor water quality were top of the list when South Burnett residents were asked which issues facing the region mattered most to them as the country heads into a federal election.

In comments on a post on the South Burnett Times’ Facebook page, the condition of our roads was the most common response.

In a 2024 report released by RACQ, the D’Aguilar Highway was found to be one of the top 10 worst roads in Queensland.

The highway is known for being busy with trucks and other heavy vehicles, the lack of overtaking lanes and the poor quality of the road surface.

In a recent request for community feedback relating to upgrades to the D’Aguilar Highway south of Nanango, responses highlighted the danger of not having enough overtaking lanes or dedicated turning lanes with vehicles travelling at high speeds.

“In general, the D’Aguilar Highway needs lots more overtaking lanes,” one person said.

“It’s a disgrace compared to other regional highways.”

Not surprising for locals, water quality was the second most common grievance.

Town water in the South Burnett is known to be “unpalatable” and is often an unusual colour.

While the council have consistently assured residents the water is safe to drink and rigorously tested every week, many townspeople still rely on bottled or tank water for drinking and cooking.

Challenges with accessing healthcare, in particular a lack of doctors and long wait times at hospital, were other common complaints.

Another recurring issue was the empty shops in town centres due to the cost of doing business in the region.

One commenter suggested implementing a commercial real estate program that subsides rent to help restore businesses in the CBD of all towns in the South Burnett.

“Free rent for one year at government expense gives businesses a chance to get on feet (seen done in a number of other regional areas with success),” they said.

The date for the federal election has not yet been announced, however Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has “not ruled out calling an election in the next seven days”.