Bruce 2.woe

The North can’t keep waiting for the federal and state governments to take notice

Northern Queensland cannot wait for better connectivity to the rest of the country. Analysis of the federal budget has revealed that work on an Inland Freight Route, dubbed the Bruce 2.0 during the 2020 state election campaign, will not begin until 2031–32.

In the October budget, it was tipped to begin in 2023-26.

This is simply not good enough. This is a Labor government project that was supposed to be the golden child of Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, and the answer to all of the North’s road transport issues.

Now, despite there being a Labor government in power federally, the North is left waiting yet again.

Since it was announced, the Bruce 2.0 project has only inched forward.

The state government previously told the Bulletin it had already started work on upgrades, with some planned works under way.

But the plan was pitched to the northern half of Queensland as another key trade and transport route. It was supposed to make travelling south smoother – and in some cases faster.

The whole project is beginning to shape up as a re-election ploy that will be rolled out when necessary to prove the government is doing something to improve long-distance road travel in the North.

Every time there is a severe weather event south of the ‘North Queensland border’, the grocery shelves begin to empty out and companies are forced to find alternative ways and routes to bring fresh produce and groceries to the region.

Queensland is a big state, and it needs reliable transport throughout.

The North cannot continue to be left behind like the second cousin, twice removed.

It is a major contributor to the state’s economy, and it should be treated that way.

The North cannot keep waiting to be noticed, waiting for both the state and federal governments to prioritise projects – and it certainly shouldn’t have to.

It’s time to bring projects in the North forward, not delay them further.