Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Is the minister aware that an RACQ bulletin on 9 May 2011 shows that the Mackay-Cairns highway was closed 334 times in 2010? As a result of this, bananas, pawpaws and myriad other crops are at risk, and tourism, mining and cattle fare even worse. In the light of not a single cent in the budget being allocated to facilitate access to the North's treasure trove of riches, can the minister assure the House he will redress with a second southern access corridor the current unfairness of travel from Cairns Airport to Innisfail taking two hours while from Brisbane to Surfers Paradise it takes only 50 minutes? That was the result of $25 billion in one case and $1 billion in the other. Finally, will the minister endeavour to secure $60 million in matching grants for an alternative highway 1 route—namely, Cairns, Ravenshoe, Charters Towers and Rockhampton?

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