Dithering Labor will fail us all

AGAIN the Queensland Government is under fire this week over inaction on a crucial infrastructure project vital to the development and growth of Townsville and North Queensland.

And its most senior minister in the North, Mundingburra MP Coralee O’Rourke, could offer no answers.

The $ 300 million Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor is a big deal.

All stakeholders agree the realignment of rail traffic to the east of the city will bring major benefits to our city.

Most notably for locals might be the removal of the rail from city streets and an end to the drone of freight trains chugging through the southern suburbs.

The Federal Government has put up $ 150 million of the total bill and, despite some bickering over who would pay, the State Government commenced the business case for the project back in 2016.

Progress has been slow, with little news in the ensuing year or more, but the business case was promised to be delivered by the end of 2017.

Building Queensland apparently has not yet finished the report and Ms O’Rourke, when asked why the deadline had been missed, said only that “it’s up to them how long it takes”.

On the face of it, it seems ministers only take an interest in projects when it is time to don a hard- hat and take the credit.

NQ mining jobs on the line

THE green activists’ campaign of misinformation and hysteria about coal has resumed in earnest for 2018 and North Queensland jobs are its target.

Carmichael, the most scrutinised mining development in Australian history, is poised to move ahead this year, with the promise of jobs for a generation of North Queenslanders coming with it.

The campaign against its proponent, Adani, has been fierce, grubby and at times akin to a propaganda blizzard.

North Queenslanders have been patient and are now looking forward to rubber hitting the road on this project.