An additional $400 million has been locked in by the Australian Government to upgrade the Inland Freight Route to keep freight moving and provide better connections for regional Queensland communities and industries.
This significant investment provided through the 2022-23 Federal Budget builds on the $400 million that was committed in last year’s Budget, taking the Australian Government’s total investment in the Inland Freight Route upgrade to $800 million through to 2030-31.
“Improving key freight routes will drive the growth of regional industries that produce wealth, like our mining and agriculture sectors.
“To become as strong as possible as quickly as possible, we must sell more of the products that make our country wealthy and strong.
“Slashing travel times for trucks mean the valuable commodities they carry can reach our ports more quickly and we get paid sooner.
“That is how our nation becomes as strong as possible as quickly as possible,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said.
Also called the ‘Second Bruce Highway’, the Inland Freight Route is a 1,184-kilometre north-south route that runs from Charters Towers in North Queensland to Mungindi on the New South Wales border.
Upgrading the nationally significant freight route will help unlock more export opportunities for cotton, grain, cattle, fresh produce, coal, oil, gas as well as other valuable commodities.
“This is a $400 million investment in the people of regional and rural Queensland to open up a wider corridor for their commercial benefit.
“It is about growing the economic pie and making sure the men and women on the land get a good-sized slice of that pie,” Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said.
The funding injection will deliver the necessary upgrades that will help remove trucks from the Bruce Highway as well as support the safe and efficient movement of goods and commodities from regional businesses to supermarkets and ports.
The Inland Freight Route is a known reliable alternative to the Bruce Highway during wet weather events and it ensures that regional towns and communities continue receiving essential goods and services.
“This additional investment to upgrade the Inland Freight Route ensures regional and rural areas in Queensland continue to get goods and services into their towns.
“Only the Coalition Government understands that an investment in our freight industry is an investment in Australia’s economy,” Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said.
The Australian Government’s investment will help upgrade the Inland Freight Route progressively, with works to include realignments, construction of overtaking lanes, flood resilience and drainage works, pavement widening and safety treatments.
The project is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs, providing a much-needed economic boost across Queensland, now and into the future.
Once completed, the upgraded Inland Freight Route will provide a vital link to ports while increasing opportunities for businesses in export industries.
“These upgrades will also better link Central Queensland to the southern states, ensuring the economic impact of the Inland Freight Route is felt far and wide,” Federal Member for Flynn Ken O’Dowd said.
“The Coalition Government understand that regional areas are counting on a major economic boost by being able to get produce to markets more quickly, in greater volume and in better condition, especially when other routes are affected by flooding,” Special Envoy for Northern Australia and Senator for Queensland Susan McDonald said.
Source: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development; Queensland Country Life; 7News; Prime Mover; The Nationals for Regional Australia