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

At long last, the Queensland government has confirmed its support for a four-lane Tiaro bypass. It's a welcome step up. I'm alarmed though, because the Queensland government says the design won't be finished until late 2022. That's another 18 months away. If the state doesn't finish the design by then, it could mean that, by the time they call for tenders and announce a contractor, major construction won't start until 2024—and who knows when it will be finished!

The Queensland government has a bad record when it comes to starting Bruce Highway upgrades on time in Wide Bay. In 2017, I announced $11 million to upgrade the intersection of the Bruce Highway and Wide Bay Highway, but it took four years to start construction. In 2018, I announced $13 million to construct an overtaking lane at Tinana. Construction didn't start until three years later. In 2019, I announced $17.5 million to upgrade intersections along the Bruce Highway at Gootchie, but, after more delays, work has only recently started. I implore the Queensland government: don't let the Tiaro bypass suffer the same fate as these. Get on with the job and get it done, because lives depend on it.