GRIDLOCKED
Port funding delay takes toll on highway
THE delay in Federal Government funding for a “vital” project at the Port of Townsville is taking its toll on the Bruce Highway.
Despite the State Government agreeing to pay $ 75 million toward the channel widening the Commonwealth is yet to match that pledge.
Herbert Labor MP Cathy O’Toole said the project would take B Double trucks off the road, which would improve road safety. If funding is secured, work could start in October.
THE North’s major highway could be safer for motorists and cheaper to maintain if the Federal Government backed the “vital” Port of Townsville channel upgrade, says Labor.
Herbert MP Cathy O’Toole said the Government was missing an opportunity to improve the Bruce Highway and slowing the development of Northern Australia the longer it delayed matching Labor’s $ 75 million commitment to fund the Townsville Channel Capacity Upgrade.
The $ 193 million project is already partially funded, with $ 75 million from the State Government and $ 43 million from the port.
Ms O’Toole said if the Federal Government backed the project it would take 8230 B Double trucks off the Bruce Highway annually, saving maintenance costs and improving road safety.
“The current width of our port is about half the size of access channels at other ports so currently about 150,000 containers are transported by rail or road,” she said. “With more trucks on the road there’s an increased cost of repairs … but if those containers can come into the North by ship instead there’s less congestion on the roads and less accidents.
“This impact alone makes it a worthwhile infrastructure project.”
Ms O’Toole said exporting and importing more containers to Townsville directly would save about 17 hours per journey.
“This port expansion project has been spoken about and on the go for the last 10 years, we have known we have needed to do this to grow our economy, to save money on our freight,” she said.
Ms O’Toole said the project would also result in 120 construction jobs and 60 ongoing jobs locally.
Port chief executive Ranee Crosby said the upgrade would have a huge economic impact on the region for both big industries and everyday North Queenslanders.
“When ships go to Brisbane and you put the containers on the road back to Townsville you’re adding two days in travel time usually,” she said. “So if you’re buying something online that directly affects the time you have to wait for it to arrive.”
Ms Crosby said Townsville already had the fastest route to mainland China, which could be better used if larger ships could access the port.
Ships longer than 238m already bypass Townsville to pick up and drop off freight for North Queensland at other ports where they can fit.
The proposed upgrade would increase the width of the channel from 92m at the narrowest point to 180m, allowing access for ships over 300m.
Earlier this month LNP Herbert candidate Phillip Thompson wrote to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull asking him to support the application for $ 75 million in federal funding.