Media Release

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter has welcomed more than $100m in vital road upgrades for the Kennedy electorate that will begin within months improving safety, freight routes and tourism connections.

Mr Katter said his office, and those of state MPs Robbie Katter, Nick Dametto and Shane Knuth, had brought the projects to the attention of State and Federal Ministers and it was a relief to see them progress.

“We have met with Scott Buchholz multiple times and he has also toured the electorate and knows these projects intimately and their importance for the cattle, livestock, horticulture (bananas, avocados etc.), and tourism industries,” he said.

“Some of these roads are dangerous to the point of death.

“The work of the Cairns and Townsville Main Roads offices must also be acknowledged.”

Mr Katter said while he was pleased to see the road upgrades progress, there are other shovel ready infrastructure projects that must start immediately to build Australia out of the Coronavirus depression.

“We must go into public works and we must fund ‘make money projects’ rather than ‘absorb money projects,” he said.

“North Queensland has shovel-ready projects. Copperstring 2.0 will open up the mines in north-west Queensland with cheap and reliable electricity.

“A taxpayer owned, multi-user rail line into the Galilee Basin coalfields will allow for production of over $20b a year.

“And Hells Gate Dam with its zero emission bio-technologies will be worth $3.5b a year to Australia’s economy.”

-ENDS-

The road upgrades include:
Cloncurry-Dajarra Rd - $20m
Gregory Developmental Rd (Charters Towers to the Lynd) - $25m
Burke Developmental Rd - $14m
Kennedy Highway (Mareeba to Atherton) - $37.5m