Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) analysis of Australian Road Assessment Program data by the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) has found that motorists travelling on the national highway between Gympie and Cairns are five times more likely to be injured or killed in a crash than people driving on the national highway between Sydney and Melbourne;

(b) the RACQ has found that 1,398 kilometres of the national highway between Gympie and Cairns is undivided and much of this section is rated just two stars out of five for safety;

(c) the Government's funding cut to upgrades of the national highway from 80 per cent to 50 per cent of project costs will:

(i) delay or cease future upgrades to the national highway;

(ii) put motorists' lives at risk;

(iii) leave communities disconnected when the national highway floods; and

(iv) constrain economic growth and regional development by failing to properly fund upgrades to increase the capacity of the national highway and make it more efficient; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) restore the former Government's 80 per cent funding share of projects to upgrade the national highway to expedite projects that will make it safer, increase capacity, and make it less prone to flooding; and

(b) work with the Queensland Government to prioritise and fast track projects to make the national highway from Gympie to Cairns as safe as it is between Sydney and Melbourne.

Motorists on the Bruce Highway know what it's like to dodge potholes or to have their bones rattled and tyres burst as they hit big obstructions on a defective road. You recall the flash of panic on a narrow, undivided section when the driver coming towards you loses concentration and drifts into your lane, praying that they come to their senses before it's too late, and also the anxiety that comes with sharing a single-lane road with B-doubles or, even worse, when you're teaching your learner-driver kids to drive on a single-lane road with B-doubles.

Successive governments have expected us to just accept crashes, fatalities, injuries and near misses as part of driving on the Bruce Highway in regional Queensland. All motorists on the highway experience these things, and for too many it can be the last thing they experience. In Wide Bay this year, there have been 14 fatalities on our section of the Bruce Highway between Gympie and Maryborough. At Bororen, we've seen the chaos, mayhem and massive disruption following a tragic, fatal crash that cut the highway for five days. It's obvious how much work still needs to be done to make the Bruce Highway safer from Gympie going north, but this work has become much harder due to the Albanese Labor government's decision to cut funding to National Highway projects from 80 per cent to fifty-fifty with the states.

The Prime Minister claims to have driven every inch of the Bruce Highway and says, 'You can't build a road with a media release; you need to build it with dollars and workers and a plan to get it done.' He's right, but only offering 50 per cent of that cost will never get it done. The only way state governments will be able to afford projects like the Gympie bypass is if funding arrangements go back to the way they were under the coalition. The coalition delivered 80 per cent of the bypass costs by contributing over $1.2 billion for sections C and D of the Cooroy-to-Curra upgrade, compared to Labor's $655 million contribution to sections A and B. It's important to note that, when he was federal transport minister, Prime Minister Albanese funded section B because the then state Labor government had planned to flood eight kilometres of the old Bruce Highway with its failed Traveston Crossing Dam, and he only agreed to fund section A because the state LNP government wanted it done and offered 50 per cent of the project's cost.

The RACQ has found that 1,400 kilometres of the Bruce Highway between Gympie and Cairns is undivided, with large parts rated at two stars, out of a five-star safety rating, and that those travelling on the same stretch of highway are five times more likely to be killed than those driving between Sydney and Melbourne. This is truly appalling. The government must restore its 80 per cent funding share and work with the Queensland government to prioritise and fast-track projects to make the highway from Gympie to Cairns as safe as it is from Gympie to Melbourne. No-one can afford the years of procrastination and delay that this government will cause with its funding cuts, which not only increase risk but guarantee tragedy.

I have personally seen what a difference an upgraded, world-class, four-lane, divided highway makes. In Wide Bay, from Cooroy to Gympie, we have that road. As I said, that's partially a result of the Labor government, but it's predominantly a result of the coalition government. I worked as an accident investigator on the old highway, and I saw what happened. I dealt with it and delivered those terrible messages to the families of the people who were tragically killed on that road. This is a serious matter. This is infrastructure that the government provides to the people of Queensland. This is infrastructure that is killing the people of Queensland, and we need to do better. Everyone needs to do better. State, federal, Labor and coalition—we all need to do better.

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wide Bay for bringing this motion forward. The National Highway in Queensland, better known to Queenslanders as 'the Bruce', is often in the news for all the wrong reasons. It's not uncommon to hear of the road being cut due to flooding or even a landslip during the Queensland summer, or after a weather event. Lately there have been way too many headlines regarding devastating road accidents on the Bruce. These accidents are tragic, and I send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the people who lost their lives or were seriously harmed in these recent accidents. I give a special shout-out to the police—like the member for Wide Bay, in his former profession—the ambos, the firies and other workers who respond to such carnage.

The Labor government stands behind our Vision Zero program—that is, zero deaths and zero injuries due to road accidents by 2050. The Office of Road Safety coordinates federal, state/territory and local government efforts that work towards this goal. To quote the Vision Zero principle:

This means creating a system where the system designers and operators, including engineers, planners, lawmakers, enforcement agencies, post trauma crash care workers and others—share responsibility with road users for designing a road system that does not allow human error to have a serious or fatal outcome.

There is no doubt this would be beneficial to the hundreds of thousands of drivers on the Bruce Highway.

My wife is from Cairns. I used to teach up near Cairns. I used to be a union organiser who covered the area from Rockhampton up to Moranbah. So I've driven the Bruce way too many times, and I know that the Bruce Highway will benefit from the Albanese government's investment of over $10 billion directed towards safety improvements, including the $1.35 billion Bruce Highway Safety Package. That includes widening high-priority sections of pavement for wide centre line treatment, installing barriers at high-priority locations, installing safety barriers at high-risk sites and implementing improvements to signage and lines. Reflecting the heavy usage of the road, there are also plans to increase the capacity of this important corridor. I note that the Gympie Bypass is about to open, I think, next week or the week after. I look forward to that, as someone who's got a sister who lives in Gympie. The substantial investment in Bruce Highway improvements was continued in the last budget. An extra $467 million was directed to the highway, including an additional $154 million for improvements along the Bruce Highway North Corridor.

As Queenslanders, members of the most decentralised state, we know that there's a focus on the safety of the Bruce Highway. As a result, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has written to her Queensland counterpart to request that the state government expedite these proposals to accelerate these crucial safety works.

The Albanese Labor government has a proven record of commitment to road safety and, within that, a focus on improving the safety of regional roads. We've doubled the Roads to Recovery funding, from $500 million to $1 billion annually. The resulting projects, which support the construction and maintenance of local road infrastructure assets, are delivered by local governments, obviously sometimes by their employees.

Funding for the Black Spot Program is also progressively increasing from $110 million to $150 million per year. This program directly targets dangerous and risky locations where crashes are occurring. It funds improvements, such as traffic signals or roundabouts, to help reduce the risks of crashes. This is driven by data, not by colour coded spreadsheets. That's important, because the LNP don't know. Obviously, they're yepping from Yeppoon and are addicted to pork. So it's good to get the data driving what's going on.

There's more funding for the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program. That will increase to $200 million annually. We've introduced the National Road Safety Action Grants Program. We've also committed $16.5 million to the car safety ratings program over the next five years. This enables independent vehicles and safety assessments for both new and used vehicles, giving the customers important data.

Despite all these proactive measures, those opposite don't think that a $10 billion federal investment in the Bruce is sufficient. They're focused on the 80-20 split with the Queensland government. This is despite the conclusion drawn by the independent review of the Infrastructure Investment Program that recommended a fifty-fifty split. Our commitment is to shared accountability and investment maximisation. The government's investment of more than $10 billion in the Bruce is only worth $12 billion on an 80-20 split. However, if we do the fifty-fifty, we end up having about $20 billion to invest in the safety of Queenslanders and all Australians, and that's a good thing for the Bruce and for the nation.

Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Queenslanders are no strangers to the dangers of the Bruce Highway. Research from the RACQ should send shockwaves through this parliament. It reveals that motorists travelling on the Bruce Highway between Gympie and Cairns are five times more likely to be injured or killed in a car crash than those driving on the Hume Highway.

The Bruce Highway, at 1,679 kilometres long, is the backbone of Queensland, connecting every major city from Brisbane to Cairns. It carries essential freight, keeps businesses moving and underpins our economy, particularly in regional areas. Yet it is fast becoming known for its deadly toll. In my electorate of Capricornia, the statistics on the Bruce Highway are nothing short of alarming. There are only two overtaking lanes for every 100 kilometres, 31 narrow bridges and over 230 road defects. It is no wonder this stretch of road has some of the highest rates of fatal and serious injuries in this country. The most concerning section, between Sarina and Mackay, has an average of 9.9 fatal and serious injury crashes every 100 kilometres. These aren't just statistics. It is a devastating reality for too many families across our great state. Every year lives are shattered, dreams are cut short and communities are left grieving.

In just a matter of weeks, the Bruce Highway has become the scene of some of its most devastating tragedies. Four serious crashes have claimed three lives in just three weeks. Among the victims were Dioneto Pereira de Souza, a 29-year-old Rockhampton man who had just become a father for the first time; Scott Cassidy, a 50-year-old father of six from Townsville; and a 21-year-old Rockhampton man whose life was cut short in a horrific highway explosion. Recently I had the privilege of speaking with Leyland Barnett, who is a Rockhampton constituent and a dedicated safety advocate. Leyland's 21-year-old niece, Emily, tragically lost her life in a head-on collision on the Bruce Highway, caused by dangerous roads—a day that, as Leyland describes, their family will never forget. These people, like so many others, are not just statistics. They were everyday Queenslanders much like you and me. They woke up in the morning and got behind the wheel and set out on the Bruce Highway for work or travel, never imagining they wouldn't return home.

Queenslanders are crying out for action, but, instead of delivering the funding to fix this critical artery, Labor has failed to meet the urgent needs of our communities. Those opposite made a devastating decision, cutting the funding model for the Bruce Highway from an 80-20 contribution to a mere 50-50. This reckless change will not just delay the critical upgrades that this dangerous highway desperately needs; it will likely cancel them altogether. The consequences of this funding cut are real. Without the necessary financial backing, essential upgrades will be postponed or scrapped altogether. Every day that these upgrades are delayed, more lives at risk. We are not talking about abstract figures here; we are talking about real Queenslanders who may never make it home because this government has chosen to balance the books at the cost of human lives. Far too many families are losing loved ones on our roads, yet Labor is cutting critical road funding and failing to assist councils to make these safety improvement to local roads. It's shameful for the minister for infrastructure to claim credit for road safety funding in a cynical attempt to distract from the rising fatalities on our roads throughout Labor's term in office.

I am proud of the track record of investment which I have delivered for the Bruce. Unlike Labor, I know what improving roads does for communities. This includes $106.4 million for black spot areas, $72.6 million for maintenance funding, $126.4 million to upgrade the northern access to Rockhampton and $11.5 million to improve the highway in north Sarina. This investment was made possible because the coalition government believed that investing in roads was investing in lives.

People in Capricornia are also not seeing a return on the wealth they create to improve the roads in our region. In the 2022-23 financial year, the Fitzroy region alone contributed $18.1 billion in royalties generated by the hard work of local miners. This substantial revenue was funnelled into Treasury, only to cover cost blowouts on projects in metropolitan areas. Labor are letting the Bruce fall into disrepair to fund city developments, and it is costing lives. We owe it to the memory of those who have lost their lives on the Bruce, and to every person who continues to travel this highway, to acknowledge that human cost of inaction. These are not isolated incidents; they are a part of a growing pattern of tragedy that we cannot afford to ignore. I call on this government to restore the former government's 80 per cent funding share of projects to allow for urgent upgrades to be made.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wide Bay for the motion. I note that he says that the responsibility and blame rest with successive governments—a concession he didn't make, by the way, in his motion. I acknowledge his background as a police officer and crash investigator and his longstanding interest in and commitment to road safety.

Accidents that occur on our National Highway, the Bruce Highway—the Bruce, as the member for Moreton and other Queenslanders call it—in recent weeks are tragedies, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those impacted and with the Queensland police and other emergency service personnel who attend these crashes. Every death on a road is one too many. However, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads' own safety data shows that the Bruce Highway is getting safer as upgrades are completed, and the rate of fatality or serious crashes per 100 kilometres travelled dropped from 14.7 to 11.2 recently.

We all want to see more and better road safety on the Bruce. It's absolutely vital for Queensland, and it takes the collective efforts of every level of government to reduce the road toll. I can assure the member for Wide Bay that the Albanese government is working closely with the Queensland government. The Prime Minister has spoken to the Premier about this, and the minister for infrastructure and member for Ballarat, Catherine King, has asked the responsible minister in the Queensland government, Bart Mellish, to bring forward projects. The Queensland government needs to know. It needs to step up in relation to safety projects and safety works. Future priorities are critical. We need to hear from the Queensland government in relation to that. It needs to identify what the priority projects are and work with local government to get support.

I'm chair of the Queensland Black Spot Consultative Panel, and I know that road safety is a high priority for the Albanese government. We're working to make improvements. We're investing record amounts of money into the Bruce Highway, with $10 billion for the highway as part of our more than $20 billion contribution to infrastructure in Queensland, including $1.35 billion for the Bruce Highway Safety Package. In the last budget, we invested $467 million into the Bruce Highway, including an additional $154 million for improvements along the northern corridor of the Bruce Highway.

This builds on our record during the previous federal Labor government, when we boosted investment in the Bruce Highway to $7.6 billion in six years, compared to only $1.3 billion over the 11 years of the Howard government. We are also accelerating projects along the highway. We recently finished the Cooroy to Curra Bruce Highway upgrade in the member for Wide Bay's own electorate. This was something that started under the Rudd government but was left to languish for a long time under the coalition. We got shovel-ready, and then they wanted to down tools. To the member's credit—and I'll give him credit—he convinced his coalition government colleagues at the time to speed up the delivery of the project, and now it's finally been completed.

The Albanese government takes road safety very seriously. It's a top priority to improve regional roads. We've backed this in with a record amount of funding for the Black Spots Program and $200 million for the new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program. We've doubled the Roads to Recovery funding from $500 million to  $1 billion per year on top of the bilateral funding that we're delivering. In addition, we've created the new National Road Safety Action Plan Grants Program, providing grant funding to program initiatives that assist in delivering our commitment to Vision Zero. We're working with sets and territories to develop a shared set of nationally consistent road safety data and recently finalised the intergovernmental road safety data sharing agreement.

The motion calls on the government to restore the former government's 80 per cent funding share of projects for the Bruce Highway. What beggars belief here is that we're not actually reducing funding; we're just calling on the states and territories to increase their share of funding consistent with last year's independent review of the infrastructure investment program. So it's a bit disingenuous for those opposite to claim we're reducing funding, particularly as they had an appalling record on infrastructure delivery with more press releases rather than roads getting rolled out. In addition, we've given more than six times the funding of the previous Howard government on the Bruce Highway. So returning to a 50-50 funding split was recommended last year by the review.

I'll give you an illustration of that in my own electorate. If we had have adopted the 80-20 model, when it came to the Warrego Highway and the alternative upgrade to the Mount Crosby interchange on the Warrego Highway in Ipswich, instead of getting $138.5 million from the Queensland government, we would have only gotten $35 million— (Time expired)

Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today as a matter of urgency to support the member for Wide Bay's motion. The Bruce Highway is the lifeline for countless individuals and families across my electorate of Dawson. This vital artery is more than just a road. It connects us to our jobs, our schools and our loved ones. It's how our farmers deliver fresh food to our tables, how truck drivers keep our economy moving and how miners contribute to our shared prosperity. Yet, while the Bruce Highway serves as a crucial conduit for our livelihoods, it is simultaneously the sight of horrific and avoidable tragedy. And the statistics speak for themselves.

Analysts from the Australian Road Assessment Program, conducted by the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland, have revealed a chilling truth. Motorists travelling on the Bruce Highway are five times more likely to be injured or killed in a crash than those driving between Sydney and Melbourne. They are five times more likely to be injured or killed, just for living in regional Australia instead of a capital city. This is an alarming disparity that cannot continue to be ignored by those on the other side of the House.

The section of the Bruce that runs through Dawson, from Mackay all the way up to Townsville, has been identified as the most dangerous section of the highway. Out of a five-star rating system, more than half of this section of road has a safety rating of two stars or less. Just over a month ago, I launched a petition to back our Bruce, which now has over 1,000 signatures and testimonials from people who have experienced the devastation of the Bruce firsthand. That's 1,000 signatures, and they are still flooding in—1,000 stories, 1,000 more reasons why we have to act now to fix our Bruce Highway. Is 1,000 Australian lives not enough for the Albanese Labor government to care?

One story, submitted by Julie from Home Hill, said:

The roads are narrow with nowhere to pull off, the large trucks tail gate and terrorise car drivers. We drive from Home Hill to Townsville weekly—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 12 : 06 to 12 : 26

One story, submitted by Julie from Home Hill, said:

The roads are narrow with nowhere to pull off, the large trucks tail gate and terrorise the car drivers. We drive from Home Hill to Townsville weekly for my daughter to play volleyball.

The number of near misses from trucks overtaking is insane. Travelling south of Home Hill is even more terrifying. Potholes, old surfaces and still the same truck issues.

Of late, there seems to be accidents constantly. This crucially must be fixed …

Another, by Jenna from Alligator Creek, shows how scary and dangerous our Bruce is, saying:

My husband, myself and our two children were almost in a head on collision near the crematorium south of Townsville one afternoon.

Every single afternoon when returning home on the Allendale Drive/Bruce Highway intersection, I hold my breath with how dangerous and scary it is to sit in the middle of the skinny intersection which is 100km/hour, feeling the cars and semi trailers zoom past.

Our kids know to remain silent at this point so that I can have my full attention to the worst intersection I have ever used.

Can you believe that—asking your children not to talk, because of the state of the highway?

We know that head-on crashes account for more than 50 per cent of fatalities on the Bruce Highway. This is because there is no separation between north and south traffic. Effectively, with vehicles travelling at 100 kilometres per hour, it's running into a concrete wall—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 12:28 to 12:39

More alarmingly this Albanese Labor government has reduced the funding contribution from an 80-20 per cent split to a 50-50 per cent split. This reckless move leaves my communities vulnerable. The total disregard for safety and lack of action from this current government is unacceptable. I'm calling on the Labor government to restore the 80 per cent funding contribution, and I call on this current government to fast-track these crucial upgrades to make our highways safe now.

Debate adjourned.