No Delays Hamilton Plains
“During the heavy rain last week, the Whitsunday community once again felt the impacts of Hamilton Plains flooding, delaying emergency services, families, students and tourists from their daily activities”.
“I have written numerous times to the previous Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey requesting an update on the status of the project and have now written to the current Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mr Bart Mellish, requesting the same”.
“Funding has been available for the project since 2019 and all we have seen from the State Labor Government is delay after delay. Tenders for the project closed March 7th last year and yet we are still to receive an explanation from the Government as to why construction hasn’t begun”.
Shute Harbour Road at Hamilton Plains is a lifeline for Whitsunday residents and tourists connecting to vital services such as the airport, hospital, our secondary school and it is essential economic infrastructure for the tourism and business sector.
I am calling on the Whitsunday community to send the Government a message because regional roads matter and deserve to be a priority. Sign my petition for no more delays for Hamilton Plains at www.nodelays.com.au
Upgrading Hamilton Plains, needs to be the Queensland Government’s priority. We as a region contribute greatly to the States revenue and branding as an international tourism destination. Regional Queensland and our Whitsunday community deserve better.
Project Timeline
2019 Federal Government committed $29.6m to the project under the Roads of Strategic Importance Project (ROSI) and the Qld Government committed $7.4m totally $37m for the project
2021 the Palaszczuk/Miles Government stripped $16m from this project, reducing it to a $21m project
2021 detailed design was to begin with construction scheduled to begin middle 2023 and completed by middle 2024
2022 Government announced that they would now be taking a coordinated approach to addressing the flood resilience of Myrtle Creek, Hamilton Plains and Goorganga Plains together
2023 - tenders for the project closed 7th March 2023 and we have seen no action since then.
2024 – construction scheduled to begin mid 2024 and not be completed until 2027.