MEDIA RELEASE SENATOR THE HON JAN MCLUCAS Shadow Minister for Mental Health Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness Senator for Queensland Rural Queensland ignored by Coalition Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss has dismissed calls for the sealing of the Hann Highway, throwing into doubt any likelihood the Abbott Government is serious about developing Northern Australia. Local councils, economic development groups and Regional Development Australia committees across North Queensland have formed a taskforce to actively lobby both State and Federal Governments because they recognise the economic and social benefits to local communities by fully sealing the Hann Highway. But in a letter to Senator for Queensland Jan McLucas, Mr Truss fobs off any responsibility for the Hann Highway to the State Government, without any consideration for the case that local communities have made for Federal Government support. “The Hann Highway is a regional state controlled road and as such, the primary responsibility for the road rests with the Queensland Government. You may therefore wish to raise the matter of funding for the Hann Highway with the State Government.” Letter to Senator Jan McLucas from Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss Senator McLucas said Mr Truss’s letter flies in the face of the commitment the Abbott Government has made to develop Northern Australia. “The Hann Highway has long been identified as a key inland route from southern states to the rich agricultural lands of the north, and as an alternative to the Bruce Highway which regularly floods, cutting off communities for days at a time. “If Mr Truss had cared enough to do his research and read the report of the Joint Select Committee for Northern Australia or review submissions to the Northern Australia Green Paper, he would understand why the Hann Highway has been identified as a priority. “Federal Labor recognised the value of this project to local communities and that is why we committed $15 million during the election campaign last year towards sealing works. “Warren Truss and the Abbott Government have failed to listen to local communities in regional and rural Queensland.” Senator McLucas said that not only has Warren Truss failed on the Hann Highway, the call for support has also been ignored by the Newman Government. A recent letter from Queensland’s Director General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads indicates the Hann Highway is not important enough for the State Government to invest in. “This is nothing but another sorry case of the failure by Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman to invest in the prosperity of regional Australia,” Senator McLucas said. “These communities are investing significant amounts of time and effort into lobbying for the Hann Highway because having good and reliable transport links is critical to their long term future. “That is why I will continue to support and encourage communities across North Queensland to keep up the fight for what is important to them.” Thursday 2 October 2014 Media contact: Belinda Featherstone 07 4031 6009 - 0408 743 457
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 04:23:32 +0000
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