It's time to finally fix the Bruce

Mention “The Bruce” anywhere in the Sunshine State and locals will know what you’re referring to: 1,673 km of bitumen stretching almost the entire length of Queensland.

This iconic highway sustains our nation’s agriculture, resources and tourism industries, and makes Queensland an economic powerhouse. 

The Bruce Highway is unique. It is 42% longer than the Pacific Highway, and services 62% of the Queensland population.

It is the state’s longest road, and its deadliest too – 41 lives were lost on the Bruce last year alone.

Despite continued government investment, the Bruce Highway has an average Fatal and Serious Injury (FSI) crash rate three to five times higher than any major highway in New South Wales and Victoria, and accidents are increasing. 

We have also seen in recent times the impacts of severe flooding over consecutive wet seasons.

Cutting off communities, increasing the risk of accidents and further deteriorating the Bruce. 

Industry bodies, motoring organisations, road safety groups and drivers frequently rank it as one of the worst roads in Australia.

$10 billion has been allocated to the Bruce, and the Albanese Government has committed additional funding every year.

To get the Bruce Highway where it needs to be, we are adding an historic $7.2 billion in extra funding.

This takes the Australian Government's total investment to more than $17 billion.

We can make this landmark investment because of the tough decisions we have taken to make infrastructure investments more sustainable.

Peter Dutton, on the other hand, has yet to commit a single dollar to the highway.

Federal coalition governments have a poor record of delivering for the Bruce. 

The Rockhampton Ring Road is a case in point. The planning for this project came as part of the Bruce Highway Upgrade Program which increased funding by more than five times under then Federal Infrastructure Minister and now Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

This was the largest investment in the highway any government had made – a significant step up from the paltry $1.3 billion during the 11 long years of the Howard Government.

Fast forward almost a decade, and not a single sod had been turned on the Rocky Ring Road under Abbott, Turnbull, or Morrison. With nothing done, the project was hundreds of millions of dollars short.

When the Albanese Government took office, we found the additional funding, and did the hard work to get this project started.

There are currently over 45 major projects in planning or under construction along the Bruce Highway. 

Many stakeholders, including this masthead, as well as the RACQ and Queensland Farmers Federation, Trucking and Tourism bodies have called on both governments to do more, and we have listened. 

The Department of Transport and Main Roads has estimated $9 billion will achieve a minimum of three out of five-star safety rating for the entirety of the Bruce.

While our preference is that transport projects across Australia be funded on a 50/50 basis so that the Commonwealth and States have an equal share in the risks, in recognition of the Bruce’s national importance, unique challenges and dire safety record, we are committing to funding 80% of that $9 billion. 

Together with the Queensland Government, it's time to fix the Bruce.

The time for unfulfilled promises and kicking the can down the road is over. It’s time to build Australia’s future, and deliver what Queenslanders expect and deserve.

This opinion piece was first published in The Courier Mail on Monday, 6 January 2025.