Calls are loudening for improvements to be made on two of Queensland’s key freight routes, with voices calling for improvements to be made to Far North Queensland’s Flinders Highway.
Townsville Enterprise and Flinders Shire Council believe significant improvements need to be made to the stretch of road, just days after the Queensland Trucking Association joined forces with a handful of key organisations in calling for the Bruce Highway – particularly between Cairns and Gympie – to be upgraded to improve road safety outcomes.
Townsville Enterprise is a not-for-profit advocate for the advancement of the city of Townsville.
CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith believes upgrades to the highway are integral to securing the financial future of the region.
“For our region to capitalise on the opportunities ahead, we need a strong infrastructure spine,” Brumme-Smith says.
“The Flinders Highway is a crucial economic freight route for Australia, yet it remains overlooked in both state and federal infrastructure plans.”
Key to the region’s future development is the advancement of the CopperString 2032 project.
CopperString is an 1100km high-voltage electricity transmission line from Townsville to Mount Isa and will form an essential part of the Queensland SuperGrid transmission, which is part of the wider $62 billion Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.
“With all sides of the government backing CopperString it is crucial they also prioritise the necessary highway upgrades.
“Given the highway supports nearly $15 billion worth of mining and cattle output annually and will be essential for transporting wind turbines, solar panels and transmission tower components for CopperString.
“As well as supporting the $30 million Mount Isa Mining Acceleration Program – which is set to create over 2500 jobs in the next five years – the current infrastructure is inadequate to meet these significant demands.”
Flinders Shire Council Mayor Kate Peddle believes the highway should not be the only part of the region’s transport network to receive attention.
She asserts rail transport pricing also needs to be reassessed to remove trucks from the road and promote a more sustainable system.
“The issue of imbalanced transportation between road and rail on the Flinders is primarily a government problem that needs to be addressed when discussing the Flinders Highway,” Peddle says.
“With the current developments like CopperString along the Highway, there is a significant opportunity for both road and rail transport to thrive. However, the pricing structures set by government are currently forcing companies to choose road over rail.
“To achieve a balance and promote a more sustainable transportation system, the government must take action to address these pricing disparities. This will help alleviate congestion on the road and help maintain the asset longer, quite simply if they don’t, they need to cough up the money to improve the road asset for the increased use they’ve created.”
“You start the problem then you need to be part of the solution, that is what a responsible government should do.”
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