Work kicks off at Sandy Gully
We've turned the sod to mark the commencement of work on the Sandy Gully Bridge upgrade north of Bowen today, and this $57 million project will improve safety and flood immunity on this 3.7 kilometre stretch of the Bruce Highway.The project will create in excess of 100 jobs, and I was happy to see this work was awarded to a Mackay-based business, Vassallo Constructions.This section of the Bruce Highway floods regularly in bad weather and closures can seriously impact on drivers in the region.
Church benefits from $9,000 grant
THE Bowen Christian Outreach Centre has been undergoing a progressive transformation as the pastor and parishioners work to repair their aging building and I was happy to present them with a grant to help with that process.I had the pleasure of presenting Pastor Phillip Watego with a $9,398 Stronger Communities Programme grant which will be used to replace a section of the roof which is rusting and beyond repair.The Bowen Christian Outreach Centre is utilised for far more than weekly worship, with people gathering for ladies meetings, family activity nights, mens’ breakfasts and community barbeques.
Tenders called for flood-proofing project on the Bruce
WORK is now at the tender stage for the $57 million Bruce Highway – Sandy Gully Bridge Upgrade north of Bowen, as we deliver a road able to withstand a once-in-50-year flood event.This particular section of the Bruce Highway is regularly closed during bad weather, with wide-ranging effects on surrounding residents and motorists passing through the region.Making this section of highway more flood resistant will have significant benefits for the safety of motorists and the wellbeing of communities at risk of being isolated by flood waters.It’s also a project which will provide 107 direct jobs over the life of the project, so we can look forward to these jobs coming on line in the very near future.
Hollow boast from Labor candidate
Labor’s claim on approving the Carmichael Mine (Bowen Independent, 6/4/16, P8) is a hollow boast, considering Labor are still holding up the approval of the Abbot Point port expansion.The Labor Party ran a half page ad for their candidate in the upcoming federal election but what they failed to mention was they’re still yet to approve the Abbot Point port expansion.In fact Labor’s State Environment Minister Steven Miles is on the record stating he will not issue the Abbot Port approval until Adani has the finance for the project.
$1 million for work on the Don
CLOSE to $1 million in Federal Liberal National Government funding will be directed towards the issue of gully erosion and the resulting sand build-up in the Don River.This announcement today by Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt is a big win for Bowen, as the issue of clearing the Don has been a concern for a number of years.The $962,550 of funding, under the Reef Trust Gully Erosion Control Programme, is a targeted investment that addresses the considerable challenge that gully erosion presents to the Great Barrier Reef.
People of Bowen have their say
THE people of Bowen will finally have their say tomorrow on the actions of extreme green groups and their job-destroying tactics.A public hearing being conducted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment will provide an opportunity for business owners, business groups and individuals to give their side of the story on issues such as the development of Abbot Point.People in Bowen feel like they’re the political football when it comes to resources development in this country and they’ve had enough of it.
Extreme green antics and the effects on Bowen
Bowen Chamber of Commerce president Bruce Hedditch reckons the Bowen community has had enough of the antics of green activists who sought to use the Abbot Point expansion project for their own ends. Here’s what he had to say:“The community is very upset with what’s happening with the delays. They’ve been going on for such a long time and we seem to be a political football when it comes to Abbot Point. This is not about Abbot Point - it relates purely to coal development.“They’re telling mistruths. It’s about time those people stepped aside; they’ve had a fair go with their objections to the development, and they’ve been defeated every time.
Sandy Gully Bridge upgrade reaches new phase
Aurecon Australasia has been selected to commence the detailed design phase of the $57 million Sandy Gully Bridge upgrade project at Bowen.This particular section of the Bruce Highway is regularly closed during bad weather, which has a serious effect on locals, tourists and heavy vehicles travelling through the region.That includes freight operators shifting coal and agricultural produce to domestic and international markets, many of which are reliant on timeliness to remain competitive.