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Glenda Pickersgill
Joined: 03 May 2006
Posts: 367
Location: Kandanga
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 Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:00 pm Post subject: My sunshine coast 5/7/11 Infrastructure aust damns labor |
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http://www.mysunshinecoast.com.au/articles/article-display/infrastructure-australia-damns-labor-for-failing-to-plan-bruce-highway-upgrades,22099
| Quote: | Infrastructure Australia damns Labor for failing to plan Bruce Highway upgrades
Infrastructure Australia has delivered a damning assessment of the Gillard and Bligh Labor Government’s failure to prepare for upgrades of the Bruce Highway, Shadow Transport Minister and Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss said today.
“Infrastructure Australia’s report to the Council of Australian Governments released yesterday blows the whistle on Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and his Queensland colleague Craig Wallace, for their lack of progress in planning for Bruce highway upgrades. It says upgrade planning is at an Early Stage, which means that “the identification or development of the right solution is at an early stage”,” Mr Truss said.
“This report will come as a shock to people who use the Highway, who can easily identify the bottlenecks, accident zones and intersections which require immediate upgrading.”
When the Coalition left office, the identification for the upgrade of the Cooroy to Curra section of the Bruce Highway had been completed. It is clear that the incoming Labor Government has dropped the ball on planning and that no design work has been completed to enable new construction to begin.
“Infrastructure Australia, the Government’s own advisory committee on national infrastructure projects, is on record criticising Federal and State Labor Governments, saying there has been a “collective failure” by Labor to prioritise infrastructure planning and financing,” Mr Truss said.
“It is clear from this assessment that Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and his Queensland colleague Craig Wallace do not have any shovel ready plans to further upgrade the Bruce Highway, including the notorious Cooroy to Curra section, which has been consistently rated as the deadliest section of Highway in Queensland,” Mr Truss said.
“Critically, the report proves that Minister Albanese’s commitment to Section B, which goes around the non existent Traveston Crossing dam, was all about bailing the State Labor Government out of a hole, as Labor has no plans for Sections A, C and D, which are necessary to complete the four lane project from Cooroy to Curra. Instead, the Highway deviates around a dam that will not be built on a route that is longer and more expensive than the community’s preferred option, and which has caused significant social and environmental intrusion.”
The report also exposes Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s and Mr Wallace’s calls for the Highway to be flood proofed as grandstanding, as Labor has not even done the planning for necessary projects to keep this vital corridor open in all weather conditions.
Mr Truss said the report’s finding that the Highway fails to meet minimum national standards highlights the need for funding commitments to be made urgently.
“The Labor Government’s approach to infrastructure not only puts the economy at risk, it risks lives. Flashing signs, lower speed limits, and restricted overtaking opportunities are no substitute for a safe and efficient Highway. The Government must get serious about safety and productivity and announce funding commitments now.”
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Glenda Pickersgill
Joined: 03 May 2006
Posts: 367
Location: Kandanga
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