People power needed for Cooroy to Curra funding
11th February, 2009
The Federal Government will soon announce a list of major infrastructure projects and Federal Member for Wide Bay and Shadow Transport Minister Warren Truss, is calling on the local community to act now to ensure that the dangerous Cooroy to Curra section of the Bruce Highway is included on the Government’s priority list.“Community pressure may help to force the Government into action and that is why it is important that everyone should make their views known now,” Mr Truss said.
The Government is in the final stages of deciding its priority list of major projects to receive some $70 billion of Federal funding over the next few years.
“This may be the last opportunity in this generation to secure funding for the notorious Cooroy to Curra stretch of the Bruce Highway as the Labor Government prepares to plunge Australia into debt and deficits for years to come,” Mr Truss said.
“Future revenue for major road projects will be reduced as an increased share of Federal budgets is required to pay interest and redemption on the debt being created today by the Rudd Labor Government.
“If the Gympie bypass and four laning of the Cooroy to Curra section of the Bruce Highway does not receive funding under this package, it could be decades before another opportunity arises.
“Anyone who wants a safer Bruce Highway should write or email the Prime Minister or the Federal Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese now and demand that an increased funding allocation be made for the Cooroy to Curra project and that the work be brought forward.
“We know the project was included in the initial list of 94 projects to be considered by the Federal Government but the Government has refused to say whether the road has made the short list of 28.
“The previous Coalition Government understood the urgency of improving the Highway and committed $700 million to the first stages of upgrading the Cooroy to Curra section. That commitment was sacrificed by the Rudd Labor Government which has offered only $200 million for the road before 2014.”
The RACQ has found that the Bruce Highway, from Cooroy to Curra, is the worst stretch of the national Highway in Queensland, and labelled it a ‘killer highway’. More than 50 lives have been tragically lost since 2000 and there have been many more unnecessary accidents in that time.
“Everyone who has travelled on the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra knows that the road has reached its capacity and the realignment and bypass are urgently needed. Anyone who is aware of the number of accidents and fatalities on that stretch knows that the Government must make a funding commitment and take action now. The Government will be spending enough money — we need to ensure it chooses this road,” Mr Truss said.
