Two-and-a-half years and nothing to show: Feds dither on state’s Kuranda Range road request

The federal government appears to have made no progress getting the Kuranda Range road added to the National Land Transport Network, despite a request being made by the state government almost two-and-a-half years ago.

Traffic driving on the stretch of Kennedy Highway between Smithfield and Kuranda, better know as the Kuranda Range road. Heavy vehicles including trucks, buses and caravans, as well as cars frequently use the roadway. Picture: Brendan Radke

The federal government appears to have made no progress getting the Kuranda Range road added to the National Land Transport Network, despite a request being made by the state government almost two-and-a-half years ago.

In the wake of a widely-criticised Tablelands access transport study released in 2022, former Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey wrote to then-federal Infrastructure Minister Barnaby Joyce in February of that year requesting the Commonwealth reclassify the Kennedy Highway between Smithfield and Mareeba as part of the national highway network.

“So … this important route can attract the federal funding it deserves and has not been getting,” Mr Bailey wrote.

His comments were reiterated by current Transport Minister Bart Mellish during a recent visit to Kuranda, who described the Kuranda Range road as “crucial to the economy of the entire region”.

Queensland Transport Minister Bart Mellish says the Kennedy Highway and Kuranda Range road is “crucial to the economy of the entire region”. Picture: Brendan Radke

“We have written to the federal government in terms of making that part of the national highway,” Mr Mellish said.

“You can see by the traffic going past us, this isn’t just a local road.

“This is a road that is crucial to the entire region.

“In terms of making this part of the national highway, I think that is a great move and it would unlock further federal money to do what needs to be done.”

Mr Joyce never responded to Mr Bailey’s original request before being turfed out of office at the 2022 federal election.

Likewise, there has been radio silence from the current federal government on the issue.

Questions were first put to Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King’s office in April this year about the status of the Kuranda Range road.

A spokeswoman for the minister did not respond to a question about whether Ms King had replied to the state government about the issue.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King’s office has skirted around questions about whether the federal government ever responded to the state government’s request to add the Kennedy Hwy to the National Land Transport Network. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

She did however say the federal government was delivering on its election commitment of $210m toward the $262.5m Kuranda Range road upgrade.

“The Australian Government will continue to work with the Queensland Government to deliver the highest priority transport infrastructure projects,” the spokeswoman said.

Follow-up questions elicited this response: “The correspondence you have referred to was not addressed to Minister Catherine King, however, we continue to engage closely with the Queensland Government on its priorities for funding,” a spokeswoman said.

“The Albanese Government has demonstrated its willingness to fund Kuranda Range Road.”

Another follow-up question on July 9 asking whether there had been any discussion between the state and federal governments since Ms King assumed office about adding the highway between Smithfield and Mareeba to the National Land Transport Network went unanswered.

A Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said while the Kennedy Hwy was not currently part of the NTLN, “the Australian Government does recognise the section between Cairns and Smithfield as a ‘proposed road’.”

“The Queensland Government recognises the important role the Kennedy Highway plays providing access between Mareeba and Cairns,” the spokesman said.

“The Queensland Government has previously requested that the Australian Government recognises the Kennedy Highway (Cairns to Mareeba) as part of the National Land Transport Network.”

Advance Cairns has been pushing for the extension of the NTLN from Smithfield to Mareeba, and for $22m to fund a study into alternate access routes between Cairns and the Tablelands, since 2022.

Originally published as Two-and-a-half years and nothing to show: Feds dither on state’s Kuranda Range road request