Transcript - ABC Radio Capricornia - Breakfast with Jeremy Jones

JEREMY JONES [HOST]: More than $7 billion to be spent on the Bruce Highway to bring it up to scratch. And with this, we're going to see level one rated roads when it comes to safety being brought up to level three. We'll see changes around Central Queensland, the Bruce Highway going all the way from Brisbane up to Cairns. It's been called the most dangerous road in the country. There's a history of deadly crashes. The federal Transport Minister, Catherine King, is with you now. And, Minister, how will this investment look in central Queensland? 

CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Well, it's a significant investment for central Queensland, as most drivers on the Bruce Highway would be aware. There's been a lot of work done down south on the road with lots of duplication, lots of safety measures there. But really from the Gympie, the new Gympie bypass onwards, there's significant areas of concern on the Bruce Highway. So the bulk of the funding that we've announced yesterday, an additional $7.2 billion, that is, of course, already on top of over $9.8 billion worth of projects that are already in planning or under construction. So those will continue. But this additional 7.2, the vast bulk of it will be from the sections that are in the sections that are the worst areas. And many of your listeners will know that they are the areas that they drive on, a daily basis. 

JEREMY JONES: And we'll see these areas go up to a level three safety rating. How does that look? 

CATHERINE KING: So the level three safety rating. So what that allows you to do with the road, it means overtaking lanes, straightening out dangerous parts of the road, putting a centre median strip in where there isn't one or widening it where it's too narrow, putting in barriers in the middle and on the sides where there are dangerous corners. Obviously, we know that's where run offs can happen, are more likely to happen and shoulder widening. And also obviously where there's areas where the ceiling or the pavement needs redoing. So it's really taking it to that level of a road. 

JEREMY JONES: And money can be lost over time and budgets can change the money involved here. Is this really the guarantee that things will go up to a level three safety rating across the Bruce? 

CATHERINE KING: Well, this is the guarantee between the Queensland State government and the Labor government to put $9 billion into getting this to three star rating. I see from papers today that the Queensland Government have now committed to put their 20% share in, but they've also committed to getting a wriggle on basically and getting this road done as quickly as possible. We are very reliant, obviously, on state governments. They do the procurement of the projects, they make the decisions about where the projects are. We want this to be done as quickly as possible, and our commitment is to get this done before the Olympics. 

JEREMY JONES: So for those listening this morning wondering what the road impact will be for them, those roads that they've experienced that feel dangerous, that are that level one rating, they will go up to three. 

CATHERINE KING: Correct. That's the areas that will be concentrated, particularly those level one and level two areas. About 45% of the road is at level two. So lifting that to three and that is really where the experts tell you get the biggest road safety gains, is taking a road from a 1 to 3. You get the biggest road safety gains there. So that's why the commitment to get it to three. 

JEREMY JONES: What were the areas that were highlighted most for you that needed to be fixed? 

CATHERINE KING: Well, it's hard to say because there is a lot. And really, at the end of the day, the Queensland State government will make the decision as to where this money is best put. And they've obviously now re-established the Bruce Advisory Committee. And so that group will also have input into that. And I think that's important. But obviously where there have been high crash areas and I think those areas, you know, we had a tragic loss of life again on the 3rd of January with two, two men now whose families are having to deal with the consequences and communities with the consequences of that That, I understand was on an area which is rated as a 1 star. So, I think they are the areas that you really want to concentrate on first, in terms of making sure that you actually get the safety benefits and you maximise those. But that'll be at the end of the day up to the Queensland Government as to where they want to start. 

JEREMY JONES: And what is the timeline that we're looking at here?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well we're wanting to get this done before the Olympics. We know there'll be a lot of, you know, more people. So locals, obviously, 60% of Queenslanders use this road. There'll be more people travelling between venues and wanting to get into Queensland. There'll be more interest in Queensland as well. So we think the Olympics is a reasonable timeframe for that to happen. 

JEREMY JONES: And for those listening this morning, driving on the Bruce often means potholes and finding it difficult to find a spot to kind of to, stop on the road as well. Will this see those change? Can we expect to see less potholes on the road? 

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well you certainly can. And you should start to see that. Anyway, one of the things we were pretty shocked by is that the previous government froze the maintenance funding or froze the indexation for maintenance funding on the national highways. There's also money that's on the table, which is in addition, which is a separate program for more rest stops. It's been one of the things that truck drivers in particular have said to us that having more dedicated rest stops and ability to be able to safely stop along the way. And so there's money there that Senator Anthony Chisholm is doing work on that can be applied for to get rest stops as well. But I would imagine that there will be some rest stops that will be part of this safety package, because of course we don't want people driving for long periods of time, and we do want people resting. 

JEREMY JONES: And minister as well, I understand you and the Prime Minister will be checking out the progress on the Rocky Ring Road today as well. Do you have an update on the road? 

CATHERINE KING: As I understand it, you know, the first package is well and truly underway. I haven't been past it since we announced that money coming forward. So I'm having a good look at that. And I understand you know works are progressing well. And that projects as far as I understand continuing are continuing on track. 

JEREMY JONES: Federal Minister there for Transport Catherine King with you. You're listening to ABC Capricornia. It's 7:18. Minister, thank you for your time this morning.