Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. My constituency question comes from Toby, a transport operator in the Lockyer Valley who ships vegetables to markets all around the country. He asks the Deputy Prime Minister to update the House on the developments of the Toowoomba second range crossing and the economic benefits to his business, our farming community, surrounding electorates and the nation as a whole.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wright for the question. The second range crossing at Toowoomba is a major project. It is probably the biggest single project ever in regional Australia road construction. It is a project that I know the honourable member for Wright, the honourable member for Groom and the honourable member for Maranoa, in particular, have been pursuing now for generations. It is a project that did not get much support from the opposite side, but the member for Wright and the member for Groom have pursued the arguments and I am delighted to see that the project is now underway. The contract has been let, and on Sunday week the Prime Minister and I, along with the member for Wright and the member for Groom, will be turning the first sod for the beginning of this very substantial project.

Valued at about $1.3 billion, this project will relieve the burden of traffic that goes through the heart of Toowoomba. It will certainly provides to people like Toby the opportunity to travel from his base in the Lockyer Valley up to Toowoomba, which he would do on many occasions, much more easily. It could potentially take 30 minutes or more off the journey time and, of course, it would be in a safe and much more convenient way.

This is one of the great regional road construction projects of this government's $50 billion construction program. It will make a huge difference to the lifestyle of the people who live in the city of Toowoomba, Australia's largest inland provincial city. As a result, the shopping circumstances in the upgraded central business district of Toowoomba will be a more pleasant place for people to come to and undertake their retail therapy. This is a road project that will be really transformational for Toowoomba, connecting the cities of Brisbane and Melbourne in a more rapid way and providing transit and access to the markets for Western Queensland. It is one of those projects that will make a real difference to our country. I congratulate the honourable member and his colleagues on their advocacy which has led to this great project at last coming to fruition.