A Shorten Labor Government will fund $11 million to upgrade the Warrego highway intersection at Mount Crosby and $750,000 towards the business case to investigate extending the rail line from Springfield to Ipswich.
This election will be a choice between a united Shorten Labor Government which will build the roads our community needs to get home quickly and safely, or more of the Liberals’ cuts and chaos.
Roads and public transport infrastructure would be a key priority of a Shorten Labor Government, Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said.
The Warrego Highway is Queensland’s principal route for east–west freight movements, connecting Darwin and Melbourne to the Port of Brisbane.
“The Mount Crosby interchange is a major choke point for residents living on the eastern side of the Warrego Highway during peak times and the safety of the single-lane roundabouts presents safety concerns for motorists.,” Mr Neumann said.
Infrastructure Australia has highlighted the Dinmore to Helidon Spa section of the Warrego Highway as a priority initiative.
IA has identified that the section falls below modern safety standards, with a high average fatal crash rate of between three and ten times that of a contemporary motorway standard.
Additionally, flood immunity of the section is low, affecting freight productivity and access for passenger movements.
Mr Neumann said residents who use the Mount Crosby interchange in peak times will know the danger it poses to traffic entering and exiting the highway in both directions.
“As well as the safety of the on and off-ramps, the traffic attempting to enter the single-lane roundabouts can build up – particularly within peak times – adding time to people’s commute that could best be spent at home with their families.
“This choke point is part of the busiest section of the Warrego highway, and urgent funding is required. I’m proud that a Federal Labor Government will help deliver the Commonwealth Government’s 50 per cent share of that funding,” Mr Neumann said.
For public transport users in the eastern suburbs of Ipswich, a rail extension through Ripley to Ipswich will provide better connectivity for people in that area to access both Brisbane and Ipswich by rail.
Currently, people in Springfield have to change at Darra to go back to Ipswich, and the newer parts of Ripley have limited access to public transport.
An elected Labor Government will fund a business case into extending the rail line, bringing the eastern and western parts of Ipswich together and making travel between the two more accessible to everyone.
Mr Neumann said these announcements meant a Shorten Labor Government will look after all commuters, regardless of whether they travel by private vehicle or public transport, and maintain community accessibility.
“Connecting all our suburbs, from the Karana Downs region, Springfield, to Ipswich and the Somerset Region, to one-another is important for our sense of community, and these announcements are helping us achieve that,” Mr Neumann said.
