LNP locks in plan for a better Bruce Highway

The Gympie Bypass would finally be completed and congestion cut between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane under LNP Leader Deb Frecklington’s plan for the Bruce Highway.

With the State Budget approaching, Ms Frecklington has committed the Opposition to delivering $2.35 billion worth of upgrades to the vital route.

"Fixing the Bruce Highway is such a priority for the LNP that I’m committing to delivering these upgrades more than two years from the next election," Ms Frecklington said.

"But I’m calling on Labor to fund them all in the next State Budget.

"Labor needs to realise that its $15 billion Brisbane tunnel is no help to regional Queensland.

"The Bruce is the economic lifeline of Queensland and we need to get its traffic moving.

"Unlike Annastacia Palaszczuk, I have a plan for the Bruce Highway."

As part of the recent Federal Budget, the Coalition offered to fund the following projects through an 80-20 co-funding deal with the Queensland Government:

• The Pine Rivers to Caloundra corridor upgrade, including six-lanes between Caboolture and Caloundra and upgrading the Dohles Rocks Road interchange (Total cost: $1.1 billion)
• The final stage of the Gympie Bypass, from Cooroy to Curra (Total cost $1 billion)
• Additional safety projects along the remainder of the Bruce Highway (Total cost $250 million)

The LNP announced it would co-fund the six-laning of the highway between Caboolture and Caloundra last month and is today confirming its backing for all the remaining projects – a $470 million commitment.

The Federal Government is set to announce a further $1.42 billion of funding for Bruce Highway projects before the next election, as part of the $3.3 billion Bruce Highway plan announced in the recent budget.

Ms Frecklington said only the LNP was committed to building a better Bruce Highway.

"Seven months ago Labor announced it would create a Bruce Highway Trust, but there has been no news on the trust since then. That shows how much the Bruce matters to Annastacia Palaszczuk," Ms Frecklington said.

"I back investment in the Bruce Highway because I want safer roads and less congestion for Queenslanders."

The LNP launched the $8.5 billion Bruce Highway Action Plan in 2012. Projects worth billions have been delivered or are under construction thanks to the former LNP government, including the Yeppen Floodplain upgrade, Mackay Ring Road, Townsville Ring Road and Cairns Southern Access Corridor.