Labor’s ‘second Bruce’ inland route could cost up to double more than planned
A mish-mosh of inland roads and highways stretching from Charters Towers to the New South Wales border would be upgraded and rebranded the “second Bruce Highway” under a Queensland Labor government election promise.
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A MISH-MOSH of inland roads and highways stretching from Charters Towers to the New South Wales border would be upgraded and rebranded the “second Bruce Highway” under a Queensland Labor government election promise.
But 80 per cent of the $1 billion needed would have to come from the Federal Government, and the Commonwealth has questions.
The actual cost of achieving Labor’s “second Bruce” could also be closer to $2 billion, according to the peak trucking association who pitched the idea.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, campaigning in the Townsville region on Wednesday, said the “second” Bruce Highway would provide an upgrade of existing roads between Charters Towers in north Queensland and Mungindi in the south of the state, to divert big trucks and freight off the main arterial coastal road.
Labor referred to the announcement as a commitment to “build the Second Bruce”, even though the roads already exist.
Taking away the gloss of the rebadge, the election promise effectively commits to a rolling suite of upgrades to “weak points” along the Gregory Development Road down to the Carnarvon Highway to make it safe for heavy vehicles.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey confirmed “a couple of bridges” and intersections needed to be upgraded to become a reality.
“We believe the federal government needs to back this in,” Mr Bailey said.
This despite Labor having previously attacked the LNP’s centrepiece Bruce Highway plan – to expand the road to four lanes at a total cost of $33 billion – as a “hoax” because it also relies on uncommitted money from the federal government.
Mr Bailey denied it was hypocritical of Labor to criticise the LNP for its “highway hoax” plan, when Labor was doing the same thing, promising a highway reliant on federal funding without any commitment from the federal government.
Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack said the government was seeking “further details on how and from where it would be funded”.
Most of Labor’s Bruce Highway announcement – including $100m for upgrades to the existing highway and the $200m for the “second” arterial – is existing funding out of the transport budget, with just $30m from Labor’s $4bn debt-funded election war-chest.
The Queensland Trucking Association, which flagged the inland route as an election priority, reckons it will cost $2 billion in total over 7 to 8 years to make the “second Bruce” a reality.
QTA chief executive Gary Mahon said Labor’s vision had “relatively lower cost” and compared to the LNP’s plan had the key element of being able to fit much larger road trains, which are more efficient.
“The inland option would give us a genuine opportunity to lower production costs,” he said.
Mayors in regional north Queensland have welcomed the plan, though with varying levels of enthusiasm.
Charters Towers Regional Council Mayor Frank Beveridge said the inland arterial confirmed the town’s status as a crossroads for transport in the North.
“It’s no secret that a lot of the wealth of Brisbane comes out of Central North Queensland. It’s also no secret that what’s good for NQ industries is good for Brisbane,” he said.
Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Lyn McLaughlin acknowledged this would ease congestion on the Bruce Highway but warned it would have an impact on tourism.
“With less travellers passing through, there will be reduced turnover everywhere from cafes and petrol stations to accommodation and tourist offerings,” she said.
Labor’s highway cash splash means it has nearly exhausted its $4bn debt-funded election war-chest to pay for campaign promises.
Treasurer Cameron Dick again launched a broadside at LNP Deb Frecklington for so far failing to reveal how she would pay for Opposition’s promises.
But Mr Dick wouldn’t say when Labor would release it’s own costings, only that it would be “very shortly” and before the other side.
Ms Frecklington said the LNP would deliver its costings towards the end of next week, the last week of the campaign, as Labor has done in previous years.
Originally published as Labor’s ‘second Bruce’ inland route could cost up to double more than planned