Upgrade for Mackay to Galilee road link
24 OCTOBER 2016: A vital road link between Mackay and the Galilee Basin will be upgraded under the Liberal National Government’s road funding program announced today. The Clermont to Alpha road has been talked about for years as the missing link in an all-weather transport route from the Galilee Basin to the service centre on the coast. All-weather access is vital to open up the Galilee Basin and to allow major job-creating ventures such as the Carmichael Coal Project move ahead with construction and reliable production. The upgrade announced today is what industry bodies and economic advisory groups have been advocating for some time.For Adani’s Carmichael Coal Mine to get started, it needs a reliable road for getting people, goods, and services into the site, including some heavy machinery. Getting this road sealed and available through all kinds of weather is a critical step in getting thousands of jobs created. Almost $7 million will be invested over three stages to seal the Clermont to Alpha road and $4.63 million will fund widening of the Gregory Developmental Road, south of Charters Towers.Today’s announcement was welcome news for the beef industries as well as locals who rely on roads such as the Gregory Development Road and the Clermont to Alpha road on a regular basis. Upgrading these roads will make it easier for all locals and industries in the region to go about their business and contribute to both the Queensland and the national economies. With record prices in the beef industry and other agricultural sectors, it is important we take full advantage of our capabilities. The same applies to the recovered coal price and the job-creating Carmichael Coal Project that is due to start construction next year. The beef industry is the big winner from these improvements. With beef prices at record levels, a bigger beef industry is a big part of developing Northern Australia. The upgraded roads will also provide benefits to all road users, including other agricultural industries and the freight sector more broadly.