We deserve honesty on infrastructure projects

MEMBER for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP is calling on the State Labor Government to provide an honest update on critical infrastructure projects across the region. 

The Albanese Federal Government announced a “90-day Review” of road and rail project funding and 90 local infrastructure projects, worth over $14 billion face the chopping block under this review.

“This 90-day review has been going for over 150 days now, when are we going to see some outcomes?  Why isn’t the State Labor Government picking up the phone to their federal counterparts and down demanding answers?” Ms Camm stated. 

This is just another excuse for the State Government to hide behind. Whitsunday residents, businesses and industries deserve to have these critical projects proceed to meet the growing population and traffic increase due to our strong tourism sector.

Ms Camm stated that, local contractors, tradies and small businesses rely on these projects proceeding.

 “In this cost-of-living crisis that this State Government has created, it is not acceptable to keep people in limbo, not knowing if they will have a job to go to tomorrow”.

Member for Whitsunday, Amanda Camm in front of road works at Paluma Rd, Shute Harbour Rd intersection

Ms Camm questions what the excuse is for projects that are being delayed but are not being reviewed by the Federal Government.

 “Hamilton Plains isn’t on the list; Shute Harbour Road isn’t on the list and yet both these projects have stalled. Both projects are not on the list being reviewed by the Federal Government, so why has the State Government delayed both of them? It is time for this government to start being honest with the people of Whitsunday”.

Ms Camm has written to the Minister for Transport, Mark Bailey and raised in Parliament the Paluma Rd to Tropic Rd Shared Pathway project, which appears to have come to a complete halt leaving a single lane road into Cannonvale and Airlie Beach at the intersection.

 “I am still awaiting a response from the Minister. What is the Labor Government trying to hide?

They are either cancelling regional projects to fund projects in the Southeast corner or like we’ve seen on the Bruce Highway projects, they have run out money?”

 “I’m calling on the Minister to come and see the mess that Shute Harbour Road has been left in.  We are about to go into a wet season and peak tourism season, and we have half a road left in extremely dangerous conditions that sees over 26640 traffic movements a day”, Ms Camm stated.

 “Regional Queenslanders and our Whitsunday community deserve better”.