Government under fire for road funding and time frame delays

Time frames and federal funding for several major regional roads have been quietly pushed back, including the Rockhampton Ring Road which was at the centre of controversy last year.

Anthony Albanese is under fire as a number of regional Queensland projects face funding and construction delays.

Several major regional roads have seen time frames and federal funding quietly pushed back, including the Rockhampton Ring Road which was at the centre of delays and controversy last year.

The ring road, Inland Freight Route from the NSW border to Charters Towers and future plans for the Warrego highway have been either pushed back or had the funding stretched out over a longer period of time delaying the project completion.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King. Picture: News Corp Australia

The Rockhampton Ring Road was about to start construction last year when it was hit with a multi-year delay on the eve of the October budget, before funding was brought forward again.

But analysis of the funding breakdown from the updated May budget shows it is now won’t be complete until the 2030-31 financial year, a year later than was proposed in October.

The funding has been stretched out over a longer period of time, rather than brought forward.

Similarly, $800 million for upgrading the Inland Freight Route is still set to start from 2025-26, but now is likely to still be under construction until 2031-32 – two years later than forecast in the October budget.

Almost $500 million for the Warrego Highway was also meant to start flowing from this coming financial year, but its start and end dates for funding have been pushed back by two years.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said there were no cuts or delays for infrastructure in the budget, and the money for projects remains in place.

The funding changes are unrelated to Labor’s 90-day infrastructure audit, which was announced 10 days before budget.

Queensland Senator Matt Canavan. NSW Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Queensland LNP Senator Matt Canavan accused the government of pushing the funding out to make the budget look better in the short term.

“It’s a year since Labor were elected and all they’ve delivered for Queensland is uncertainty about when and where new roads will be built,” he said.

“People’s jobs are on the line with these jobs, communities who desperately need safer roads are being told to wait.

“Now we’re told we have to wait to the end of the year to get answers.”

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King was contacted for comment but did not respond before deadline.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said all of Labor’s election infrastructure commitments were in the budget and would be delivered.

“There are no cuts in the budget papers. The dollars remain attached,” he said.

Originally published as Government under fire for road funding and time frame delays