Labor Backflips on Bruce Highway Upgrades

Labor is finally following the Coalition’s commitment to restore 80 per cent federal funding to the Bruce Highway.

Mr Wallace said while the Prime Minister’s announcement is welcome, years of cuts and delays by Labor have cost lives, including 43 lives last year and two lives already this year.

“Too many tragedies have occurred under Labor’s watch, with years of crucial roadworks being delayed because Labor was deaf to Queenslanders' concerns about the priority of this dangerous highway,” Mr Wallace continued.

Let's not forget Labor's previous $1.2 billion of cuts and delays to Bruce Highway upgrades which have placed a roadblock on regional Queensland’s economic growth and put lives at risk. As well as Labor’s cuts to funding of the Mooloolah River Interchange, which has resulted in the project being shelved, over 100 homes being demolished and hundreds of people being dislocated. More examples of this government’s indecision and lack of commitment to critical infrastructure projects can be seen in their inconsistent funding and constant delays, which have left communities in limbo and hindered progress across the state. The Coalition's $10 billion plan to upgrade the Bruce Highway was crucial for constructing bypasses, overtaking lanes, and delivering safety improvements, which Labor had unfortunately also stalled until close to an election.

Since 2016, Andrew Wallace has played a key role in securing over $900 million in upgrades to the Bruce Highway between the Caloundra Road and Sunshine Motorway Interchanges, the region’s largest ever infrastructure project. This upgrade has significantly improved safety and efficiency by expanding the highway to six lanes and making major upgrades to both interchanges, benefiting local residents and businesses.

The Coalition announced last September we would restore the historic 80 per cent funding for Bruce Highway projects in the regions, which was stripped away by Labor. Mr Wallace added, “Labor inherited from the Coalition a program of more than $10 billion of works to upgrade and make the Bruce Highway safer but have continued to cut and delay projects since being elected.”

In the Budget last year, the Prime Minister cut $488 million from the Bruce Highway funding over the next four years.