Will the State Government and Labor Candidate for Pumicestone electorate, Ali King use this in her policy promises? Considering we have been waiting for nearly 700 days for the State Government Minister Baily to fill in the paperwork and to start this process??????
Federal Member for Longman Terry Young MP has called on the Queensland Government to explain why they have stalled on the $20 million upgrades to Bribie Island Road.
Mr Young said the State Government had failed to fill out and submit a vital project report that could kick start the development, and see safety increased and travel times reduced for the tens of thousands of people who use Bribie Island Road on a daily basis.
“I want to make it clear that the Morrison Government has committed $20 million to making this project happen and the fact that the money is still sitting there waiting to be used is unacceptable,” Mr Young said.
“The process is until the Department of Transport and Main Roads submits the Project Proposal Report to the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack’s office, the project funding of $20 million cannot be released and therefore the project cannot be commenced.
“The State Government knows that this is the process and yet they are holding this up. The Project Proposal Report is a submission from the States which outlines the scope of works, benefits and costs and indicative delivery timeframe for a project.
“This report then needs to be given to the Federal Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications to be assessed and then given to the Deputy Prime Minister to approve the funding.
“I am asking the State Government to tell us where this report is. What is holding it up? Why are you denying the people of Longman this essential Bribie Island Road upgrade? This upgrade will create much-needed jobs and boost economic growth including supporting tourism in the future.”
Mr Young said there had been a lot of conjecture regarding the funding and responsibility around the upgrade of Bribie Island Road and which level of Government is holding the project up.
“It is a state election year this year and I truly hope they have not been holding this project up so they can announce its commencement closer to October to gain political advantage at the expense of our constituents’ needs. That would be reprehensible,” Mr Young said.
“As the Federal Member for Longman, I have taken to digging in order to find out the truth because this upgrade needs to happen and it needs to happen today.”
Mr Young said he has been in constant contact with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and the Deputy Prime Minister and has been fighting for the Bribie Island Road upgrade to happen.
“On the 6th November 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack wrote to State Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey seeking agreement to add Bribie Island Road to the National Partnership Agreement schedule,” Mr Young said.
“Minister Bailey subsequently responded asking for the Australian Government to fully fund the project.
“In between these two letters, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications wrote to the Qld Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads formally on 18 January 2019 asking for the development of a Project Proposal Report to be commenced.
Mr Young said this was in addition to the ongoing contact with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to check on the progress.
“In April 2019 the Deputy Prime Minister responded, agreeing that Attorney General would recognise previous Qld investment on the road as its contribution to this project. This letter also noted that the Department of Transport and Main Roads were developing a Project Proposal Report at that stage.
“So again, I ask the State Government to please enlighten us as to why this project is taking so long to get off the ground.”