Federal Labor defers Cooroy to Curra Bruce Highway upgrade
28th August, 2008
The Federal Labor Government has confirmed it will not spend any money on the Cooroy to Curra Gympie bypass project until after 2009-10, Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss said today.In response to a Question on Notice in Federal Parliament from Mr Truss this week, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the Federal Labor Government had allocated only $200 million to the Cooroy to Curra section of the Bruce Highway, to be spent over the period 2009-10 to 2013-14.
“This funding schedule will allow only a small start on the project over the next 6 years and make the 2020 completion target date unachievable,” Mr Truss said.
“The former Coalition Government placed priority on the 65km section between Cooroy and Curra, by committing $700 million to the first stages of the four laning and the bypass. The commitment was made as part of a $2 billion allocation for the Bruce Highway,” Mr Truss said.
“Not only has the Federal Labor Government stripped $500 million away, it now proposes to effectively shelve the bypass project for the foreseeable future.
“The former Coalition Government had committed to complete the four laning of the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra by 2020, but the Labor Government has now thrown the whole project into jeopardy. The Gympie bypass could now be delayed for many years beyond its expected completion date, due to funding constraints imposed by the Federal Labor Government,” Mr Truss said
“This is a $2 billion project. With the freight task forecast to double over the next 12 or so years, the Government should be increasing its financial commitment to the bypass to fast track the project, not cutting funding and stretching it out for decades.
“Labor’s decision will have major consequences for the safety and efficiency of the Bruce Highway. Local motorists will have to compete with trucks and other vehicles traveling north and south beyond the Gympie region for years longer,” Mr Truss said.
“It is yet another demonstration that in spite of all the Government’s rhetoric about wanting to be nation builders, wanting to increase the productive capacity of our nation’s road network and to boost the economy, Labor is more interested in hollow spin than investing in infrastructure that delivers real and lasting benefits."
Mr Truss has called on the Federal Government to release full costings and a timeline detailing completion dates for each stage of the Gympie bypass project.
