Transcript - ABC Radio Wide Bay, Breakfast with David Dowsett

DAVID DOWSETT [HOST]: Well, how far away is a decent Bruce Highway that's safe to drive on? Well, probably a fair way off, but the Federal Government continues to spruik its bold, multi-billion-dollar Bruce Highway upgrade plans. Senator Anthony Chisholm is the Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development. Let's see if we can get some detail on those plans. Senator Anthony Chisholm, good morning.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Good morning David, good to be with you and your listeners.

DOWSETT: Well, first of all, can you offer more detail on this plan and what it actually means for the wide Bay?

CHISHOLM: Well, it's an historic announcement. It is the most significant investment in the Bruce Highway that's ever been made, and what we've said is we'll work constructively with the State Government to implement this. But we've put $7.2 billion in, which is what's needed to get the Bruce Highway up to the three-star safety rating that's been identified as important to saving lives for people who use the Bruce Highway. What's been identified through consultation is the areas that are a priority. That means for your listeners that the Gympie to Maryborough section is a priority for this announcement. So we obviously rely on the State Government to implement and spend the money and detail where that gets done. But the priority sections are clearly that Gympie to Maryborough section that are important for safety and given the number of people who travel on it as well.

DOWSETT: Okay, interesting, you mentioned Gympie to Maryborough because the Opposition National's Member for Wide Bay told me yesterday he's still to pass judgement on the announcement by the Prime Minister. Llew O'Brien described that stretch from Gympie to Maryborough as a death zone that needs the continuation of four lanes.

LLEW O’BRIEN [MEMBER FOR WIDE BAY] RECORDED EXCERPT: This is an area that needs a fix and it needs it now, not another doorstop press conference with a career politician who doesn't really- who cares more about the political spin than he does about saving lives.

DOWSETT: So, you can guarantee that Gympie to Maryborough will indeed be a priority?

CHISHOLM: Well, it's obviously up to the State Government in terms of where they determine that money goes, but it's been identified for a long time as a priority that needs money to be spent on. So we'd expect that to be included. And as I said, we'll work with the State Government. They have an advisory body on the Bruce Highway that they will obviously work with, but that's our expectation.

DOWSETT: What about the Tiaro bypass?

CHISHOLM: Yeah, that's still in planning and the money's been allocated to that. So, we expect again that will continue to happen. That's part of existing funding packages.

DOWSETT: The RACQ says that the upgrades will take decades and that there's no end point due to population growth. Is that a fair call?

CHISHOLM: Obviously, this amount of money, it's very hard to spend it quickly. We want to ensure that we get good value for money. There has been a lot of cost overruns on projects. We obviously want to ensure that where the money is being spent, that it's making a difference. And that's what we're confident that this money will do. So yes, it will be spent over a long period of time, but that's about identifying the projects, doing the work on them and also identifying the workforce that can actually do this. I was in Rockhampton yesterday with the Prime Minister, and we met some of the workers there who are working on the Rocky Ring Road project. So we know that there is a labour shortage out there. So we've got to ensure that we've got the workforce that can actually do the work that's required to spend on the Bruce Highway.

DOWSETT: So realistically, it'll take quite a few years before we get up to that three out of five star rating?

CHISHOLM: That would be based on the current trajectory, but there's obviously important work. Now, if we identify where the real problematic spots are, we can ensure that this funding goes towards that and that work can start earlier.

DOWSETT: Anthony Albanese is certainly up and running early in this new year. Is the Prime Minister mulling an announcement on an election date maybe as early as next month?

CHISHOLM: Well, the Prime Minister will call the election when he's ready, but it's not unusual for him to start the year in regional Queensland. I've travelled with him at this time of year for a number of years now, both in opposition and in government, and it's something that he enjoys. He's obviously a got a good record in terms of money that he's spent on the Bruce Highway as Infrastructure Minister in previous Labor governments. He knows the road and regional Queensland very well, and he enjoys getting out and about and spending time with people like we have done over the last couple of days.

DOWSETT: Where's your money? March, April or May election? 

CHISHOLM: I don't tend to speculate on those things, David. I'm very happy to be patient. Get on with my job as being a Senator for Queensland because it's the best job in the country. And I'll be ready when the election is called. But I enjoy getting out and about and talking with people of Queensland, and I do that every day, regardless of whether there's an election or not, but it just adds a bit more pace to it when it's an election year.

DOWSETT: Anthony, thanks for your time this morning.

CHISHOLM: No worries David, good to be with you.