NWQROC Statement: Strategic road commitments welcome
Mayors of North West Queensland welcome the Federal Government’s announcement today to invest in a number of roads in our region as part of a $730 million commitment to NQ strategic roads.
This ticks off several projects in the roads platform of our communities’ strategic Six-point Plan for the future. That Six-point plan covers needs across transport, water infrastructure, energy, communications and community facilities.
As our communities continue to recover from unprecedented flooding, we also acknowledge the valuable support we have received to help us in the initial recovery period.
Today’s announcement, in addition to the essential flood recovery, provides much needed support in several corridors including the Flinders Highway, Townsville to Tennant Creek; Yeppoon to Mount Isa; and Cairns to the NT border (Savannah Way). We will be seeking for more detail on the commitment to the Hann more generally.
Labor previously announced $500million to upgrade regional roads and bridges across the state and we await details of where this will be spent or if it meets our communities’ needs as outlined in our strategic plan.
It is important to build on this and also see long term commitment from all parties in other vital areas.
We renew our call for all parties to look at the other essential areas in our Six-point Plan for a strong future for North West Queensland. After facing a battering from exceptional floods, the overdue need for a comprehensive regional deal and investment to build a stronger future is more important than ever.
We should never forget that when we are firing on all cylinders this region is very productive, with hardworking local contributing $176,000 per capita to the national economy - almost three times that of elsewhere in Queensland.
That’s why investing in these roads and the other aspects of our plan provides a benefit not just our remote communities but to the domestic tourists who visit our region, to the cattle and other freight operators and to the wider economy.
Our Six-point Plan clearly outlines – even before the disaster – a detailed way forward for our diverse region with reliable energy, roads, dams and water, first world communications and funding community services in a way that suits remote communities.
While we are yet to get the commitment to the broader deal, we note regional and city deals for southern cities that haven’t had the same issues as our region.
So – well done today, but to ensure we aren’t forgotten as the flood waters recede, we will be taking our fight to the marginal seat of Herbert - because a strong Townsville needs a strong neighbouring region and our friends and voters there might have some interest in whether a major feeder of their local economy is getting the right support from the respective parties.
Download the NWQROC Six-point Plan at: https://www.nwqroc.com.au/fairregionaldeal/
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Contact: Greg Hoffman PSM - Executive Officer, NWQROC | 0418 756 005 | nwqroc@carpentaria.qld.gov.au
