CANBERRA CASH DASH
Delegation to nation’s capital to seek funding commitments
A HIGH level delegation of Cairns business leaders is confident it will be able to prise a bucket load of cash from Canberra in the lead-up to next year’s election.
The Cairns TNQ Convoy to Canberra has a series of meetings with government leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, in two weeks.
The Advance Cairns, Cairns Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Tropical North Queensland group has highlighted roads as a priority, including the Kuranda Range and a national highway extension to Smithfield.
A CONVOY of Cairns business leaders will meet Australia’s deputy prime minister Michael McCormack and other Commonwealth leaders in two weeks to lobby for an upgrade of the Kuranda Range.
The black spot stretch of highway is one of four major road projects on an infrastructure wishlist for which the “Cairns TNQ Convoy to Canberra”, comprised of 52 delegates, will seek federal funds.
Other major roads projects include the extension of the National Highway A1 to Smithfield, sealing the Queensland section of the Gulf Savannah Way, and ensuring the completion of the Hann Highway.
Roads and transport is just one area delegates are planning to discuss with government representatives. Other areas include: defence and marine, education, the Great Barrier Reef, tourism, regional economy development, health, small-medium enterprises, agriculture and energy.
The delegation, which travels to the ACT from October 16-17, is being led by Advance Cairns, Tourism Tropical North Queensland and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce.
Advance Cairns chief executive Nick Trompf was hopeful a conversation with the Federal Government would assist with an upgrade of the Kuranda Range.
“We know the Kuranda Range is a state road,” he said. “But if a genuine upgrade is going to occur, it’s a $2 billion project … therefore it’s going to need federal and state money.”
He said he considered a range upgrade as the “second phase” of extending the national highway to Smithfield.
“It’s pointless fixing the Kuranda Range, and then you get to Smithfield, and you’ve the same problems you’ve currently got,” he said.
“The roads on the southern side of Cairns are already vastly superior to the northern side, and you’re about to get another half a billion dollars spent over the next few years duplicating Edmonton to Gordonvale. We need to get that federal road funding for the northern side.”