Funding for Queensland’s Bruce Highway brings hope for improved safety

ABC NEWS (Australia)

For those who use the Bruce Highway along Queensland’s coast, the threat to life and livelihoods is a daily challenge. The federal government’s funding pledge is fuelling hope improved safety might finally happen.

Transcript

00:00From Brisbane to Cairns, the Bruce Highway links Queensland, vital to communities, tourism

00:09and trade. But much of it is unsafe, with more than 40 lives lost last year alone.

00:16Every life lost is a life too many.

00:18Leyland Barnett is a driving instructor who's grieving his much-loved niece Emily. She died

00:24on the highway south of Rockhampton in 2020.

00:28She had her whole life in front of her. She was only 21 years old when she passed away.

00:33Drivers are three to five times more likely to be killed or maimed on the Bruce Highway

00:39than on major roads in southern states. Its safety rating is abysmal.

00:44Almost 45% of the Bruce Highway only has a two-star rating.

00:49Labor says its additional $7.2 billion pledge will lift all of it to at least three out

00:55of five stars.

00:57This will improve safety and will make an enormous difference to the lives of Queenslanders

01:04and all who visit.

01:05Anything like that that's going to help with our public safety is a great thing.

01:09About time.

01:11Priority sections of the 1700 kilometre thoroughfare are Meribah to Benarrabee, Rockhampton to

01:18St Lawrence, Bowen to Townsville and Ingham to Innisfail. But it won't happen overnight.

01:24The reality is the Bruce Highway getting to three stars is estimated to take seven

01:29years so from this year through to 2032.

01:32Flood proofing is also urgent.

01:34In the most decentralised state in the country, that is absolutely fundamental to making sure

01:41all of our communities are replenished.

01:43The announcement is a return to the 80-20 funding split between the Commonwealth and state.

01:49The Bruce Highway is a national embarrassment, it is a death trap and this is a step towards

01:56resuming what should always be the case and that is the federal government carrying the

02:00lion's share of the money.

02:01But the federal opposition has so far stopped short of committing to the plan.

02:07We want to see the timeline in particular and as we look at that we'll come to a view

02:12as to whether or not we support the way forward.

02:14A long road ahead for those needing to travel safely.

02:19For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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