Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm proud to second the member for Capricornia's motion as I too understand the importance of the beef industry and the need to upgrade the beef corridors. The motion acknowledges that the cattle industry within the Queensland beef corridor road network consists of a quarter of the Australian cattle herd population. This is an important contribution to the Queensland economy, worth $2.7 billion. The beef corridors consist of a 457-kilometre road network, which serves as a crucial interconnected system for agricultural supply chains spanning from east to west. This infrastructure facilitates the seamless movement of premium beef throughout every stage of the production cycle.

Beef produced within the beef corridor road network is of world-class quality and is transported on dangerous, substandard roads. But don't just take my word for it; these are some of the comments from local mayors within the councils of the Flynn electorate. The Mayor of Banana Shire Council, Nev Ferrier, said: 'There are three meat processing plants in Central Queensland: two in Rockhampton and one in Biloela. Between them, they employ 2,000 people and rely on delivery of up to 3,000 head of cattle per day. We need to be able to get the road trains from Central Queensland to the Gladstone port via the Capricorn, Burnett and Dawson highways via Dululu, Biloela and Gladstone. Beef corridors will also benefit our tourism industry and other strong export commodities that are transported from western Queensland to Gladstone, like grains, mung beans and chickpeas.'

The Mayor of Rockhampton Regional Council, Tony Williams, said: 'As the beef capital of Australia, Rockhampton depends on transport of cattle for breeding, backgrounding, sales and meat processing. Ensuring reliable transportation is vital to the beef supply chain and the growth of local jobs. Meat processing firms in Rockhampton, including Teys and JBS, are undertaking their own expansions to process more beef for more domestic and international markets and will rely heavily on improved transportation from across Central Queensland. Growth opportunities also exist at the Gracemere saleyards, which are currently at the mercy of a beef transportation system that hasn't changed since the 1950s. We are calling on the government to establish a reliable and robust corridor road network that will assist councils across Central Queensland.'

The Mayor of Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council, Terence Munns, said: 'Ideally, we will generate an investment interest from both state and federal governments on improving beef corridors and limiting problems encountered in getting stock and products for sale. For Woorabinda, this would mean flexibility to haul cattle and produce to relevant sales and increased numbers of cattle hitting the market from the region overall.'

The Mayor of Gladstone Regional Council, Matt Burnett, said: 'The heavy vehicle access route to the Port of Gladstone incorporates the Gladstone port access road, which currently does not allow for type 1 road train access. Upgrading type 1 road train access from the Dawson and Capricorn highways to the Port of Gladstone will reduce logistics costs and time. The Port of Gladstone is the gateway to the rich central western hinterland of Queensland and needs more efficient connections throughout the Queensland beef corridors. Accessing the Port of Gladstone can open the door for beef export as well as agricultural exports straight to the Asian markets. This improves supply chains for agricultural inputs and consumables.

The Mayor of Central Highlands Regional Council, Janice Moriarty, said: 'Central Highlands Regional Council is committed to the ongoing support of the Queensland beef corridors project. Reliability creates confidence, confidence drives opportunity and opportunity creates investment and employment. As a result, regions and communities are revitalised and linkages between our communities improve capacity and the sense of identity for our beef region. Despite our resilience, innovation and early adoption of 21st-century technology and our incredible superiority in genetics, we are burdened with the uncertainty and unnecessary cost that comes from an inexplicable lack of investment in road infrastructure. Our communities deserve better by any measure of ambition or equity? I agree wholeheartedly with their comments.

In 2022, the former coalition government committed $400 million to make the crucial improvements to the beef corridor roads. I condemn the Labor government for its reckless decision to delay the funding of $400 million to the beef corridor road network upgrades, creating uncertainty around this critical road safety project.

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