TMR's $11.5b roads fix including Inland Freight Route gets mixed reviews

Regular drivers of the 1185km Inland Freight Route, which runs from Mungindi at the NSW border to Charters Towers in North Queensland, can attest to the road's aging infrastructure which they said reduced the efficiency, productivity and safety of the route.

Transport organisations including the RACQ, Livestock and Rural Transport Association of Queensland and the Queensland Trucking Association as well as the state opposition voiced concerns over Treasurer Cameron Dick's announcement of the $37.4 billion Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program.

The QTRIP was part of Transport and Main Roads funding for 2024-25 to 2027-28 revealed in the state budget last week.

Acknowledged by Infrastructure Australia as, "an important alternative north-south route to the Bruce Highway and North Coast rail line especially during extreme weather events, the IFR is part of the nationally-accredited Key Freight Network servicing key supply chains and value-adding freight nodes."

But Callide MP Bryson Head disputed TMR's figures in regard to the IFR which he said lets down rural, regional and remote communities who depend on this transport corridors.

Mr Head said the state government had been dilatory in its efforts to open new roads including IFR to take traffic off "the dangerous Bruce Highway."

"They have kicked this can down the road," he said.

"Comparison between the QTRIP's released on either side of the budget announcement showed they brought forward $4.1m into 2023/24 but the spend in 2024/25 has been reduced by $9.2m, which means the so-called 'bringing forward' of $107m in funding has been a reduction in spend of $5m."

However, a TMR spokesperson defended the figures and said they remained "fully committed" to the IFR.

"QTRIP is a complex and dynamic program, with budget fluctuations varying year-on-year as projects and programs change over time, and to respond to different circumstances, such as weather events," the spokesperson said.

"Budgets are set at a point in time and are adjusted in line with progress and available information.

"The apparent reduction in 2024-25 is attributed in-part to an acceleration of expenditure up to 30 June 2024, which was initially forecasted to be $15m, but is now forecast to be $19.1m (and) to the latest project expenditure estimates, which are impacted by a range of factors."

QTA CEO Gary Mahon said transporting livestock, crops and goods to and from primary producers and their communities by road meant the state's key corridors including the IFR must meet the government's claims of safety, reliability, resilience, accessibility and regional connectivity.

"Keeping rural, regional and remote communities connected by roads is vital, particularly when it came to having reliable alternatives routes when main roads were unavailable due to weather or natural disasters, such as floods or cyclones," he said.

"We need more to improve the IFR and take pressure of the Bruce Highway."

LRTAQ president Gerard Johnson said the organisation would have liked more funding to be made available for more rural and remote regions.

"While we welcome the government's commitment to the IFR, we are disappointed that there is not more money being allocated to road infrastructure outside the southeast corner and regional Queensland, especially on rural and remote roads," he said.

"The agricultural sector contributes billions of dollars to the Queensland economy and its time that key constraints were removed such as poor or limited road access to help business efficiency and confidence."

RACQ's Traffic and Safety Engineering Manager Greg Miszkowycz, said while the organisation acknowledged there was "a significant investment" in the budget, it had been lobbying for improvements to the IFR.

"We had advocated for the acceleration of the IFR and welcome the $1b total commitment and the early works packages which commenced late last year.

"We want not only for freight but also for tourism and those who need to access regional, rural and remote areas, roads which are as open and safe as they can be."

Last week Premier Steven Miles said as Queensland had the biggest road network of any state in Australia, it now has the "biggest ever "road and transport investment in the state's history.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish said the QTRIP was "a responsible, sustainable investment program that ensures we can continue to deliver on Queensland's top transport priorities."

"We all know the market is tough, inflation is creating significant challenges for projects all over the country," he said.

"This is a value-for-money QTRIP, with a big focus on where it matters - safety, reliability, resilience, accessibility and regional connectivity."

A TMR budget highlight is the ongoing Bruce Highway Upgrade Program, which includes total budgets of $1.730b to construct the Rockhampton Ring Road, $1.162b to construct Cooroy to Curra (section D), $948m for the upgrade between the Gateway Motorway and Dohles Rocks Rd (stage 1), and $336m towards a bypass of Tiaro to increase the flood immunity, safety and efficiency.

State budget: TMR major investments include:

*Jointly funded with the Australian Government

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