Qld Premier announces Rockhampton Labor candidate Craig Marshall

The latest state candidate has been revealed during a billion-dollar announcement by the premier and prime minister on a whirlwind trip to Central Qld. Find out who it is.

Craig Marshall. Picture: Aden Stokes

The premier and prime minister used a billion-dollar Ring Road tour on Tuesday to reveal the Rockhampton candidate it hopes will replace retiring Labor MP Barry O’Rourke at the October 2024 election.

The aspiring politician, Hillcrest Rockhampton Private Hospital biomedical engineer Craig Marshall, joined the pair and other MPs and federal and state ministers on a tour of early works at the $1.73b project at Pink Lily.

The 17.4km project which has found itself at the mercy of cuts in recent years is funded by both levels of government, with $1.2 billion from the federal level and $530 million from the state.

Premier Steven Miles said Mr Marshall was a proud local who would be a passionate advocate.

Craig Marshall. Picture: Aden Stokes

Mr Marshall said he has a strong focus on the issues that impact the Rockhampton community and he believes in “a good quality health care system, good local schools, safe and secure housing and a fair go for local families”.

Mr Marshall, who has been a biomedical engineer at Hillcrest for about 18 years, said he had also worked as a contractor in the mining sector at various points throughout Central Queensland.

“I’ve owned and operated a small business and I’ve got about 10 years experience working with kids in care,” Mr Marshall said.

According to a Q and A on the Australian Private Hospitals Association website, Mr Marshall mostly likes “to spend time outside with my family, riding dirt bikes, kicking a ball, or at the park with the kids”.

“I am an active community volunteer with several different groups as I want to help make our society a better place for all, especially for our kids and for future generations,” he said.

Mr Miles said Mr Marshall had lived in Rockhampton for about 30 years.

“He’s worked in the community in health care and other services,” Mr Miles said.

“I think he’ll be a great local member, another passionate advocate for Central Queensland, a great member of our team.”

‘A great servant of Rockhampton’

If elected, Mr Marshall will join every Rockhampton state representative since the 1930s in being a Labor MP.

Mr O’Rourke announced in November that he would not be running again after seven years as the state MP, having first been elected in 2017.

Former long-time Rockhampton mayor Margaret Strelow has dusted off her politician’s hat and thrown it into the ring as an Independent candidate.

The LNP announced Rockhampton councillor Donna Kirkland as its candidate in October, before Mr O’Rourke’s shock decision.

Mr Miles paid tribute to Mr O’Rourke’s work at the Rockhampton MP to date.

“Barry has been a great servant of Rockhampton; a great member of our team,” he said.

Margaret Strelow.

Rockhampton Ring Road

Construction on the $280m first tranche of works started in November 2023 and are expected to take about two years

The funding was reinstated for the project in December 2022 after it was first pulled when project costs blew out by $700m and the federal government announced the project could not be delivered in the initial timeframe.

In the wake of the news, a group of local businessman banded together and participated in a convoy from Rockhampton to the national’s capital in the hopes of putting the infrastructure back on the agenda.

“When complete, big trucks will avoid 19 sets of traffic lights through the middle of Rockhampton, which has long been regarded as the pinch point for travel on the Bruce Highway,” Mr Miles said.

“It will take thousands of heavy vehicles off the road.

“It will reduce the interactions between local traffic and those heavy vehicles.

“It’s been delivered overwhelmingly by local contractors and buy local procurement rules are ensuring that as much of that $1.7 billion stays here in Rockhampton.

“That is critical for Queensland’s economic growth.”

Former Capricornia MP, Labor’s Kirsten Livermore, first petitioned for the project, and the first round of funding was secured by current Capricornia MP and member of the Liberal National Party, Michelle Landry.

Both contractor joint ventures start construction at key work locations in Parkhurst and on Rockhampton-Ridgelands Road in West Rockhampton in November.

Construction on this phase of the Rockhampton Ring Road is expected to be complete in the 2025-2026 financial year, the federal government told this publication last week.

“This ring road will divert heavy traffic and freight away from the CBD, away from the more than a dozen traffic lights that currently heavy vehicles have to deal with,” Mr Albanese said.

“That’s good for productivity, but it’s also good for road safety for locals and for people who are traveling up and down the Bruce Highway.”

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King, who was also in Rockhampton, said the project will see 2600 heavy vehicles diverted away from Rockhampton’s CBD and along the 17.4km road across 18 bridges.

Mr Albanese said it was built on the floodproofing works to the Bruce Hwy.

“I look forward to coming back here and having multiple examinations,” Mr Albanese said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Steven Miles today celebrated construction progress on the $1.73 billion Rockhampton Ring Road. Picture: Aden Stokes

Keppel MP Brittany Lauga, Mr O’Rourke, Rockhampton Mayor Tony Williams and Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish were also at the progress inspection.

The state government promoted the success of its ‘Local Buy’ targets, pointing to 47 of 68 contracts awarded to ‘local businesses’ within less than 10 weeks of possession of site date had gone to local businesses.

Originally published as Qld Premier announces Rockhampton Labor candidate Craig Marshall