Cairns: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk opens Smithfield bypass, talks Covid
Cairns Hospital has only 16 intensive care unit beds, so it is no wonder Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had such strong words when visiting the city today.
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CAIRNS Hospital’s surge capacity, vax rate back-up plans, sly grogging and the Smithfield bypass grand opening were all on the cards as Annastacia Palaszczuk fronted media in Cairns on Thursday.
The Premier was in town to cut the ribbon on the $164m Smithfield bypass – but not before she and her government MPs faced a media scrum at the Cairns Convention Centre.
She said Cairns had now leapfrogged that other tourism powerhouse, the Gold Coast, in the vaccination stakes to reach 84.9 per cent first dose and 71.7 per cent double doses.
Another 300 people had been jabbed at the Cairns Convention Centre mass vaccination hub on Wednesday, alongside another 500 others elsewhere in the region.
“I don’t want to see families or loved ones ending up in ICU or hospitals, so please, please, please, go and get vaccinated,” Ms Palaszczuk urged.
“I understand there are concerns out there, go and sit down and speak to your local GP.”
The Premier said she was confident Queensland would hit the 90 per cent double-dosed rate by January despite fears vaccine hesitancy could cause the state to fall short.
“We’re on target,” she said.
“I’m absolutely confident we are on target, and the evidence is in people coming out and getting vaccinated.”
Smithfield bypass
Transport Minister Mark Bailey was confident critics of the “congestion-busting” Smithfield bypass would be eating their words in a matter of hours.
He brushed off suggestions upgrades to the Captain Cook Highway should have been brought forward before the Smithfield link.
“The analysis was done on this from day one, and this is the most effective way of dealing with the traffic situation there,” he said.
“It’s a lot more effective than doing a six-laning of the Captain Cook Highway.”
He said motorists would realise just how effective the new road was at breaking up traffic jams on Friday morning.
“I think we’ll see the traffic situation immensely better than it is now,” he said.
“I went out this morning to meet with Craig Crawford, I could see the traffic bank-ups going for a long way on the Captain Cook Highway.
“Tomorrow morning, it’s going to be a hell of a lot better than that – I can tell you that.”
Barron River MP Craig Crawford was in celebration mode.
“For two years, you’ve watched this road grow,” he said.
“You’ve seen the cranes, the concrete, you’ve seen the bitumen and it’s probably been tormenting everyone as they’ve been sitting in morning and afternoon traffic.
“Well today is the day that you get to drive on it.
“Very shortly we’ll take away the witches’ hats, the traffic controllers will start to allow traffic to flow.”
Cairns Hospital’s capacity
Ms Palaszczuk was presented with a staggering fact – that Cairns Hospital has only 16 ICU – before launching into another plea for the region to roll up its collective sleeve.
“The more people that are vaccinated, the less pressure is going to be put on our hospitals,” she said.
“I know that the Cairns Hospital and health service does a great job up here.
“Our hospitals are getting prepared.
“Covid will be coming in, and let me just say, you don’t want to get Covid.
“So please, please, please, sit down and talk to your GP, talk to your friends that have had the vaccine and please go and get vaccinated.”
Lockhart River alcohol ban
Mr Bailey threw his support behind a push for the Cape York Aboriginal community of Lockhart River to have an alcohol ban lifted for one establishment.
“The community in Lockhart River wants to move to a regulatory model, and that’s very much the focus of the leadership there,” he said.
“I support them in that.
“Sly grogging remains an issue in that community and other communities.
“What they’ve got there is a restaurant that will have a licence.
“It will be very closely managed.
“I think the town is ready for that regulatory model.”
Fighting the feds
Ms Palaszczuk has been increasingly at odds with the federal government in recent weeks with fears her deteriorating relationship could be detrimental for Queensland.
She said she planned to work cooperatively with the upper political tier, and an upcoming meeting was the opportunity to set the ball in motion.
“We’ve got a national cabinet meeting coming up soon and I think everyone needs to work together,” she said.
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Originally published as Cairns: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk opens Smithfield bypass, talks Covid
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