LABOR’S TIMETABLE — GYMPIE BY-PASS BY 2060
21st November, 2007
If Labor were elected on Saturday, the Bruce Highway Gympie By-pass would not be completed until 2060, according to the Federal Member for Wide Bay, Mr Warren Truss.Labor’s shock announcement last week that it intends to strip $600 million from the Coalition’s commitment to the Bruce Highway through the electorate of Wide Bay and spend the money in Brisbane would mean that only $200 million will be provided for the Cooroy to Curra section of the Highway between now and 2013 — and that includes maintenance.
Mr Truss says that if Labor’s level of funding was to continue into the future it would take at least until 2060 to complete the Gympie By-pass.
This timetable is completely unacceptable to Queensland motorists and demonstrates the arrogant contempt that regional Australians can expect from a Rudd Labor Government.
Mr Truss said a re-elected Coalition Government has committed $700 million to extend the four laning north from Cooroy with more funding to follow. Another $50 million will be provided to upgrade priority sections between Brisbane and Cooroy and $40 million to four lane two extra sections through Gympie.
Even though Labor admitted that this was “the most dangerous section of the Bruce Highway” it has chosen to withdraw $600 million of the Coalition’s funding and give it to roads in the capital cities.
The Coalition funding commitment will put the Cooroy to Curra upgrade project on schedule for completion by 2020, but with Labor providing less than $50 million a year it would be at least 2060 before the project could be completed. By then, hundreds of lives would have been lost and traffic will be gridlocked through Gympie.
Mr Truss said Labor not only wants to flood the Mary Valley, now it wants to keep its road system locked in a time warp for more than 50 years.
A vote for Labor would mean at least $600 million less spent on roads in the electorate of Wide Bay and the ditching of the Auslink promise to complete the Cooroy to Curra upgrade by 2020.
ENDS
