The re-established Bruce Highway Advisory Council (BHAC) met for the first time on Wednesday, December 18, with six regions of the state represented by locals with a variety of backgrounds.
The meeting, which was held in Townsville, follows on from an election commitment made by Premier David Crisafulli to re-establish the council prior to the end of 2024 if elected.
The council is chaired by Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg, and features industry representatives with backgrounds in civil construction, heavy vehicle transport, road safety advocates and small business owners.
Industry and peak bodies invited to join are:
- RACQ
- Queensland Trucking Association
- Queensland Farmers’ Federation
- Queensland Tourism Industry Council
- Transport Workers’ Union Australia, Queensland Branch
- Local Government Association of Queensland
“The Bruce Highway is the spine of Queensland’s road network and needs continued investment,” Mickelberg says.
“We made a promise to Queenslanders that the BHAC would meet before Christmas, and here we are with peak bodies and six regional representatives in Townsville to discuss the current problems along the Bruce Highway and where investment should be prioritised.
“I’d like to thank the many regional Queenslanders who expressed their interest in joining the Bruce Highway Advisory Council. It proves how passionate the regions are and the need for representation in this council.”
The regional representatives on the council are Far North Queensland’s Luke Bird – owner of HEH Civil, North Queensland’s Kent Battle – third generation owner of Notrans, Mackay/Whitsunday’s Carol Single – foundation and life member of Mackay Road Accident Action Group, Central Queensland’s Eleanor Butler, Wide Bay Burnett’s Ken Wilson – road safety author and researcher, and North Coast’s (Sunshine Coast) Neill Graham – truck driver of 25 years between Brisbane and Cairns.
Butler, whose mother was seriously injured in a crash on the Bruce between Rockhampton and Mackay in 2020, believes improving the road needs to be a top priority.
“I’ve lived in the region for 40 years and I know the Bruce like the back of my hand,” she says.
“I strongly believe upgrades to the highway should be top priority to drastically improve road safety.”
The re-establishment of the BHAC has come months after peak bodies in Queensland including the QTA and RACQ established the ‘Fix the Bruce’ campaign/
At the time, RACQ Managing Director and Group CEO David Carter said the highway’s quality when compared to other national highways was dismal.
“The Bruce Highway is the backbone of this state,” Carter said. “It’s supposed to be a national highway but when you compare it to the Pacific or Hume, it’s substandard.
“Those interstate highways have rightfully been upgraded to three, four or five stars out of five for infrastructure safety, yet there are still significant lengths of the Bruce that are a two-star rating.
“We know proper upgrades work and safer roads save lives.”
A key pillar of the ‘Fix the Bruce’ campaign has been a call for an 80:20 split between the federal and state governments on projects to improve the road, a pillar which Mickelberg says the council will fight for.
“I’m taking the fight up with the federal government to reinstate 80:20 funding for the national highway,” Mickelberg says.
“It’s only fair for Queenslanders to receive the same kind of investment on their roads as other states.”
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