Media Release: State Government fails again on public consultation for major road upgrade

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State Government fails again on public consultation for major road upgrade
 
Herbert MP Phillip Thompson has slammed the Queensland State Government for once again failing to listen to the community.
 
Mr Thompson said residents had made it clear to him at a mobile office at Black River this morning that the design for the Townsville Northern Access Intersection Upgrade was not what the community wanted.
 
The $107.65m project, 80% funded by the Federal Government, but designed and constructed by the Queensland Government, was intended to duplicate the Bruce Highway between Veales Road and Pope road and upgrade safety at local intersections.
 
But Mr Thompson said he had serious concerns that the plans would create new safety issues, and significant inconvenience for many local residents.
 
“This is typical of this southeast-centric State Labor Government – they say they’re all about looking after Queenslanders but they’re telling us what we want instead of asking us what we need,” Mr Thompson said.
 
“They’ve gone ahead and put together this design which closes some roads, builds some new ones, and puts in U-turn lanes which require cars and trucks to cross multiple lanes of traffic to head in the direction they need to go.

“Some of the alternative solutions put to me include an overpass or traffic lights which don’t sound to me like unreasonable requests – but those ideas have so far been dismissed.
 
“I have a meeting booked in with the Department of Transport and Main Roads next week and I’ll be compiling all the feedback from this morning and raising it directly with them.
 
“I also call on the newly reinstated Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey to come up here out of his Brisbane bubble and listen to locals.”
 
Mr Thompson said mobile offices were important opportunities for residents to raise their concerns.
 
“I’ll be back again next Tuesday at 5:30pm for anyone who would have liked to come this morning but couldn’t make it,” he said.
 
“I’d encourage anyone else to send me an email or call my office with their feedback on this plan.”

ENDS

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