‘Heartbreak’ roads
THE regional roads making up the Nanango electorate have torn more families apart than almost any other constituency, with the exception of Callide – a tragic confirmation of what most residents already know.
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said the tragedy unfolding on our roads was utterly heartbreaking and left families torn apart, with 10 fatalities in the region between January and July this year.
“It seems like each time you see the news, there has been another fatality, or serious accident in our region,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“And we have to remember that these statistics only count the people who have lost their lives. There are many more who are injured and incapacitated in these accidents and who will endure a lifetime of suffering.
“Sadly, I don’t think anyone from my electorate would be surprised by these figures.”
Queensland has lost 172 people to road trauma – up 13 per cent from 2020 – with the Nanango electorate having already equalled last year’s total.
RACQ spokeswoman Lauren Ritchie said 18 of the 20 electorates with the highest number of road fatalities were in regional areas, where more crashes were likely to happen at higher speeds.
“We’re pleading with drivers to not get complacent and to take road safety into their own hands, as we know quieter regional roads can be deadly,” Ms Ritchie said.
“We also need to leaders to focus investment on regional road funding. The major roads in these regions are high speed, have single lanes in each direction, are undivided and typically have narrow shoulders with hazardous roadsides, making them more unforgiving in the event of a crash.”
Mrs Frecklington said the Nanango, Callide and Burnett electorates – who’ve collectively dealt with 30 road deaths this year – were often overlooked for funding.
“Statewide we know the backlog on state-controlled roads has blown out from $4bn to $6bn,” she said.
“The Auditor-General also forecast that our maintenance backlog would grow to $9bn this decade, but at the current rate, it will be well over $10bn.
“Our communities need confidence in their road network to know they can travel to work, drop their kids off at school or drive their truck to market without worrying if they’ll return to their families at the end of the day.”