Media conference - Rockhampton, Queensland

ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Thanks everyone for joining us here today in Rockhampton. It's great to be here with Minister Mickelberg and the state MPs for Mirani and Rockhampton as well, Glen and Donna. We know that the Rocky Ring Road is going to be an excellent piece of infrastructure for Queensland, and particularly this region. I've been here a couple of times now doing media on the progress, and it's great to see that the Lion Creek Bridge is completed. This demonstrates to locals that this project is underway, it's happening, and it's going to make a significant difference to this community.

I want to thank the constructive work that the state government have been doing with us in terms of funding this project. We know that there's been a cost escalation to now $1.98 billion, and in the 25-26 Budget, the federal government putting in another $200 million to ensure that we can complete this project with full scope. The work is ongoing, so the early works package is due to wrap up soon, and then they will move on to the major works package throughout Rockhampton. We also know that this is an important bit of infrastructure. It's going to save travel times. It's going to make journeys safer. It's going to ensure that it's more flood proof, and it's going to improve productivity throughout the whole region as a result of that.

I'm really pleased that we've been able to finally get this project underway and delivering the Lion Creek Bridge is a testament to that. I want to thank all the local contractors and everyone who's been involved in working on it, and I wanted to note the importance of local contractors as part of this project that we've been working constructively with the state on. It does contain cement that was produced locally, and that's a fantastic outcome and we want to see more of that as we roll out infrastructure projects across the state. So, thanks Minister Mickelberg for working constructively with us, and I'll hand over to you now. Thanks very much.

BRENT MICKELBERG [QLD MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS]: Well, thank you, Minister Chisholm. And it's a real pleasure to be here today joined with my state colleagues, the Member for Mirani, Glen Kelly, and the Member for Rockhampton, Donna Kirkland, getting on with the job of delivering the Rockhampton Ring Road. With the opening of the Lion Creek Bridge, this will make the road network more flood resilient, more able to deal with the volumes of traffic required, and is the first of 18 bridges which will be replaced as a part of this Rocky Ring Road package. As Senator Chisholm spoke about, we're focused with getting on with the job of delivering this project. It's why we're working collaboratively with the federal government in delivering the full scope of this project. And I note the cost, as Minister Chisholm noted, is now $1.98 billion. Our focus, my focus, is on ensuring that we deliver it within that funding envelope, within that budget, and it's delivered on time.

Our focus here is on getting on with the job, and it's great to see the local content. In this particular bridge, local company Stresscrete has provided the bridge decks, and that means local jobs for Rockhampton people and it also means opportunity for the entire Rockhampton economy. It's one of the things the Crisafulli Government is focused on, is ensuring that local businesses and local employees benefit from these major projects, particularly in regional Queensland. We know how much of a game changer projects like the Rocky Ring Road are for communities like Rockhampton and the broader central Queensland region. And we're focused on ensuring that there is not just a great piece of infrastructure and road at the end of this project, but more particularly that we build capacity in the local economy and we create jobs for locals. And as we roll out our considerable infrastructure spend across the state, whether it's the Bruce Highway delivering Olympics infrastructure or here on the Rocky Ring Road, we want to see local jobs for locals.

So it's great to be here today announcing the first of these bridges will be opened, and also that the full scope of the Rocky Ring Road will be delivered, with that contract to be executed in coming days. Happy to take any questions.

JOURNALIST: What is that full scope, Brent?

MICKELBERG: So, the full scope includes grade separated exits. It includes the footpath, for example, over the Fitzroy River Bridge there. These are important infrastructure upgrades that will make not only the- one of the key points to the Rockhampton Ring Road is it provides flood resilience for Rockhampton, and without those exits and entry points onto and off the Rocky Ring Road, you lose some of that flood resilience. It becomes a bypass rather than a ring road. So this is about supporting the Rockhampton community, not just providing a bypass for heavy vehicles around Rockhampton. That's an important aspect of it. It will take trucks off our roads through the centre of Rockhampton, and that is absolutely an important piece of this puzzle, but so too is the flood immunity that comes from this road upgrade. And all of those individual pieces, whether they're the exits and entries onto the Rocky Ring Road, whether it's the bridges and how they support movement of both vehicles but also pedestrian access in and around Rockhampton, they're important parts of the puzzle. And it's something that my state colleagues, in particular, Donna Kirkland, have campaigned strongly forward to, both before she was in the parliament as a local councillor but now as a member of parliament here in the seat of Rockhampton, to ensure that there's a benefit for not just heavy vehicles that may be bypassing Rockhampton, but also for the local community.

JOURNALIST: Stage one is due to be complete mid this year. What is exactly is stage one?

MICKELBERG: Well, essentially what we've done here on the Rockhampton Ring Road is we've started from the northern end and the southern end, and the final package is meeting in the middle with the bridge across the Fitzroy River. And we're really pleased to be able to get on with the job of delivering that final stage. As I said, those contracts are about to be awarded, and it'll be the full scope as originally envisaged for the Rockhampton Ring Road, and it'll be within in that $1.98 billion funding envelope. So, this is a really important moment. First of all, we're opening the first bridge on the Rocky Ring Road. Secondly, we're getting on with the job of delivering the full scope of the Rocky Ring Road. 

JOURNALIST: Is there a timeline for works on the Bruce Highway between Rocky and Colosseum, especially around Bajool, considering the amount of fatalities that have been there?

MICKELBERG: Yeah, look, I understand the community concern. We've had some really concerning incidents, particularly in that part of the world around Bajool on the Bruce Highway. No one wants to see fatalities on the Bruce Highway. And last year, we lost forty two people on the Bruce Highway. It's why we are partnering with the federal government to deliver the Bruce Highway upgrade package, a $9 billion package of works, and those works have already started. In fact, I did a press conference with Minister King just south of Rockhampton a couple of months ago before the federal election, and we’re getting on with the job of starting those works.

One of those projects is in Bajool, and that is captured in the first $250 million which was released as a part of that program of works on the Bruce Highway. We also have other works in that area in relation to the Safer Roads Sooner program. That's about ensuring improvements for heavy vehicles that may be moving through that area. But what we really want to see is upgrades up and down the entire Bruce Highway. I traversed the Bruce on the way down from Mackay yesterday with Glen Kelly, the member for Mirani, and there are parts of the Bruce Highway that, frankly, are not up to scratch, that are dangerous, and it's why we're partnering with the federal government to deliver this $9 billion program of works. And all of that money will be spent north of Gympie. None of it will be spent in the southeast, and it will all be spent on safety upgrades north of Gympie. Places like Bajool, places like Marlborough, and up and down the Bruce Highway, we know how important it is to make the Bruce Highway safer. So that's things like pavement improvement, areas where it's potholed and dangerous. It's things like overtaking lanes, rest areas, intersection upgrades. These are important projects that will make the Bruce Highway safer, and we must make the Bruce Highway safer to ensure that fewer people are losing their lives on this critical piece of infrastructure that all Queenslanders use.

JOURNALIST: Has this work started since you were last here in March, and in what areas?

MICKELBERG: Yeah, look, we've got work, as I said, in Bajool. So we've got an early works package, which was basically those projects up and down the Bruce Highway that we could get work started on straight away. Places where the design had been done, and we were just waiting for funding. Next week, I'll be in the Wide Bay area, looking at one of those projects again. So there's works up and down the Bruce Highway that have already started. But the bigger game is doing- we've also allocated $100 million as part of that package to design for additional works that will roll out through the next financial year, and there's a considerable amount of work that does need to be up and down Bruce Highway. What we want to see here is a rolling series of projects and works that include- that improve the Bruce Highway all the way from Gympie through to Cairns. We know how important that Bruce Highway is, so it's about safety, and wherever we can we also want to build capacity and reliability into those projects as well.

So I want to also make the point, I think it's an important point, that this is not the only work that we are doing on the Bruce Highway. Projects like Goorganga Plains, the remediation works at Ollera Creek, which is north of Townsville, these are all important projects where we are going to build the Bruce Highway back better than it was before to ensure that it's both more reliable and more resilient.

JOURNALIST: Destination 2045 was announced this week, the 20 year tourism plan. Improving the Bruce, is that going to be part of that? 

MICKELBERG: One hundred per cent. Yeah, look, I was involved with a lot of the consultation in relation to the 2042 Destination plan with Minister Powell, and transport connections are a big limiting factor for our tourism industry here in Queensland. That came through loud and clear, not just in regional Queensland, it’s also true in the southeast as well. So we’re very focused on ensuring that we improve those connections, whether that is a road network, our rail network or regional flights, there is considerable room for improvement to ensure that our visitors, but not just our visitors, locals have a better experience when they're using those important transport assets. And as we go to the 2032 Games, that's going to be very, very front and centre of ensuring that we deliver successful games, a games that benefits all Queenslanders, not just those in the southeast in Brisbane. So absolutely, the transport links, particularly the road network, and the Bruce Highway is a key artery for many tourists who choose to drive up and down from- it may be from the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, all the way up to Cairns, they can see the Great Barrier Reef. We need to ensure that it's as safe as possible. We need to ensure that those who may not be used to driving on our roads, one, understand the conditions; two, have the infrastructure built in a way that will keep them safe. So we're really focused on ensuring that we deliver not just for the tourism industry but for all Queenslanders when it comes to the road network.

JOURNALIST: So there will be investment upgrades to the Bruce Highway north of Rockhampton?

MICKELBERG: Absolutely.

JOURNALIST: I've got some stuff about the e-scooter inquiry.

MICKELBERG: Yeah.

JOURNALIST: So submissions need to be made before 20 June. Do you think people should get involved?

MICKELBERG: Yeah, absolutely. We launched the e-mobility inquiry. So that's about e-scooters, e-bikes and other personal mobility devices- because it's very clear that the community are concerned. And we tragically lost eight Queenslanders as a consequence of these devices last year, and we've seen a massive increase in injuries over the last three or four years as well. As the proliferation and usage of these devices has increased, government regulation and enforcement have not kept pace with that usage. This inquiry is about ensuring that the community have their say, that experts are able to present alternative solutions to addressing our concerns. What we want to see is submissions from as many people as possible, whether that's someone who chooses to use an e-scooter to get to work, whether it's someone who's concerned about the use of maybe e-bikes in their community, or whether it's medical professionals, transport professionals, policy experts. We want to hear from everyone to ensure that the solutions we put in place address the issue that is at the core of this. We've been working collaboratively with the federal government, and I've met with Minister Chisholm and other state ministers at the Road Safety Ministers' Meeting, I think it was in December, it might have been November last year, and we raised this specific issue. We need to work collaboratively to address the importation of these devices.

The storage of these devices as well is an issue. There have been tragic instances with respect to the lithium batteries that are used to power some of these devices. These are all issues that we want to see addressed by the e-scooter, e-bike, personal mobility device inquiry. Submissions close on 20 June, so I'd encourage all Queenslanders to have their say, and our objective in completing this inquiry is to ensure that whatever we put in place is able to be implemented and to make our community safer.

JOURNALIST: And do you think the e-bikes are convenient, or do you think they're a safety case?

MICKELBERG: Look, I don't think it's a question of either-or. I mean, the truth is that these devices are a great way to get around if used safely. They absolutely provide a meaningful and useful alternative to traditional modes of transport. But it needs to be done safely, and right now, unfortunately, we are seeing too many injuries, whether that's for the users, or perhaps even more tragically for pedestrians who have been struck by those who have been using some of these devices inappropriately. What's very clear is there is community concern. That's why you're asking me these questions, is because the community are interested in it. We too are listening to the community. It's why we've launched this inquiry, and off the back of this inquiry will come concrete recommendations that we can implement that will make the community safer, and will facilitate the safe use of these sorts of devices. Alright, thanks everyone.