Shorten plans for regional inroads

BILL Shorten will today unveil his biggest power play in Queensland with a $ 500 million bitumen to bridge bonanza targeting marginal seats.

Signalling Labor is preparing for an early poll, Mr Shorten will leverage the plan to ramp up his regional campaigning in electorates that could determine who takes The Lodge.

The bumper down payment for up to 3000km of roads and up to 300 “wider, stronger bridges” will be revealed at Labor’s state conference in Brisbane.

Pledging a Shorten government will invest heavily in regional Queensland, the Opposition Leader will outline the 10- year plan, estimated to create 13,000 jobs.

The rescue package, to be funded from consolidated revenue, is directed at helping truckies, tourists and trade, and aims to boost productivity and safety, especially for those battling inland beef roads.

The blueprint will target Capricornia, Cairns ( both marginal) and Kennedy.

Next week he will hold town hall meetings in Townsville, which is marginally held by Labor’s Herbert MP Cathy O’Toole, and in Rockhampton, held by LNP’s MP for Capricornia Michelle Landry.

Labor’s plan for real jobs in regional Queensland includes the following pledges:

Work to the Flinders Highway between Mt Isa and Cloncurry;

The Capricorn Highway between Emerald and Rocky;

The Mitchell Highway from Cunnamulla to Charleville; and

The Kennedy Highway between Cairns and Mareeba.

Mr Shorten will today tell the party faithful, still jubilant after the Longman by- election win, that every part of Queensland should get “top- quality infrastructure”.

“Queensland is the most decentralised state in Australia – half of your state’s economic activity takes place outside of Brisbane,’’ Mr Shorten will say.

“Our plan will get the arteries of regional Queensland pumping again and will make it easier for farmers to move cattle and sheep and feed.”