House debates

Monday, 6 February 2023

Statements by Members

Forde Electorate: Infrastructure

1:34 pm

Photo of Bert Van ManenBert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Last month marked the practical completion of the Mount Lindesay Highway upgrade from Stoney Camp Road to Chambers Flat Road. This is a vital legacy project of the previous coalition government's almost $40 billion infrastructure investment in Queensland over the past 10 years. As part of this $75 million upgrade, which was jointly funded by the Morrison government and the state government, the project has doubled the number of available lanes on this stretch of highway, to four from the previous two. Anyone who has travelled that piece of road will know how important that is from a safety perspective.

The finishing touches are now being put in place on these lanes, with all four expected to open to traffic in the coming weeks. Once the road is fully open, the increased capacity will significantly cut travel times for motorists and greatly improve traffic flow. Safety enhancements have also been made, such as the installation of safety barriers, and a greater emphasis is being placed on conserving the surrounding environment, with improved fauna connectivity and protection. This is in addition to the new northbound and southbound bridges at Norris Creek, Munruben, which were officially opened last year.

I want to thank all the residents and motorists for their patience during the work and all the contractors for the work they did to bring this project to completion. These crucial investments in local infrastructure are vital contributors to the economic growth of our local communities.