Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I already talked about that. The $958,000 upgrade was fully funded through our coalition government's road Black Spot Program, one of the many initiatives in place to improve road safety and reduce road trauma. The intersection was a longstanding issue in the Capricorn Coast community. The upgrade was undertaken in two stages. The first stage involved extending Hoskyn Drive to Hidden Valley Road. The second stage involved the recent upgrade of the notoriously dangerous Hidden Valley Road turnoff onto Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road. The work is expected to reduce the number of collisions at this intersection.

Meanwhile, I am pleased to report to the House that work to repair Pilbeam Drive up to Mount Archer and the city of Rockhampton has been completed. Pilbeam Drive partially collapsed under rockfalls following Cyclone Marcia in 2015. The two-year repair work was undertaken thanks to joint federal and state NDRRA, natural disaster assistance. Mount Archer is an important asset to our region, and it was important to restore access to the summit by repairing the damage to Pilbeam Drive. In addition to the road repairs, I am pleased that the federal government is also contributing $1.5 million towards the first stage of a walking track up Mount Archer and is providing funding for further developments for mountain biking.

In a third update, I am pleased to advise the House that upgrades to the Gregory Highway between Emerald and Clermont are well underway in the electorates of Capricornia and Flynn. This $25.5 million project is delivering a series of new intersections, lane widening and overtaking lanes. It has been funded through round 4 of the coalition's Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program. These upgrades will allow type 2 road trains to use this road safely and efficiently. They will also ensure that the needs of the agribusiness, mining and construction industries are met so we can get goods to market in a competitive manner. I am advised that an average of 50 direct jobs will also be supported over the construction phase of this project. This is evidence that the National Party continue to ensure that our government supports investment in regional Australia.

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