ENABLING INFRASTRUCTURE ADVANCE PRIORITIES 2021/22

BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY NATIONAL • TNQ’s road transport system is under pressure due to population growth, particularly on the road network around A1 Cairns which is the main COUNCIL: CAIRNS, , CASSOWARY COAST, HINCHINBROOK ,TOWNSVILLE distribution hub for the STATE ELECTORATE: BARRON RIVER, CAIRNS, MULGRAVE, HILL, HINCHINBROOK, TOWNSVILLE region. FEDERAL ELECTORATE: HERBERT, KENNEDY, LEICHHARDT • The is one of ’s highest-risk roads and in the 5 years THE ISSUE to 2020, there were 604casualty crashes and An integrated and efficient road transport 33 fatalities on the stretch network is critical for economic stability and between Cairns and growth in northern Australia. In Tropical Townsville. North (TNQ), the road network • The underpins the economy and is vital to the has already exceeded its capacity of 9,500 vehicle resident population of 286 873, ensuring movements per day, accessibility to health, education and catering for up to 10,000 community services. daily traffic movements. In 2018-2019, the road Due to rapid population growth, TNQ’s was closed more than 130 road transport system faces increasing times due to crashes. pressure, particularly on the road network • While the Bruce Highway in and out of Cairns which acts as the main York Peninsula and the Gulf Savannah. It has seen unprecedented distribution hub for the region. Meeting the is a critical link for commuter, commercial State and Federal investment since 2013, growing demand for freight has strained and visitor traffic in TNQ and a vital strategic many future TNQ existing infrastructure, impacting transport corridor linking the , projects are scheduled costs and service levels across the supply North Tropical Coast and Cape York to the for commencement after chain. The strain has been exacerbated by Cairns Airport. 2023. It is essential these be brought forward to uneven population dispersion, the shared Both the Bruce Highway and Kuranda address critical congestion passenger transport task on TNQ roads, and Range Road underpin the commercial and safety issues. resilience gaps in the road network which is viability of primary industries, producers • A strategic transport frequently impacted by weather events. and exporters in the region. However, both plan linking Cairns and Via road, the is serviced by are operating at or near capacity with safety Townsville is required, together with a significant four main arterial roads, two of which are and traffic efficiency now at critical levels for upgrade of Kuranda Range critical freight routes – the Bruce Highway action. Road. and the . While unprecedented State and Federal The Bruce Highway is part of the National funding has been allocated for Bruce Highway A1, providing the vital link between Highway upgrades between Cairns and Cairns and Townsville, other Queensland Townsville, to maintain and grow TNQ’s coastal cities and Brisbane. The highway competitiveness through improved supports the transport of freight into and productivity a number of catalytic projects Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning, out of the region. The National Highway A1 are still needed. Infrastructure Plan 2009-2031 Australian Automobile Association, How Safe Are Our was extended by the Federal Government This need is supported by the 2009- Roads? Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP): Risk Mapping, 2016 in 2020 to the intersection of Captain Cook 2031 Far North Queensland Regional Plan, Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP), Risky Roads Project and Kennedy Highways and Mount Milman which recommends that the Department of Examples include: McIntyre M (2000). Integrated Trans- port Study for Kuranda Range: impact assessment study. Drive, Smithfield, north of Cairns, which will Main Roads plan for and preserve transport Prepared for Department of Main Roads; Environment lead to a major upgrade of the Captain Cook corridors to construct bypass roads around North (2004). Integrated Transport Study for Kuranda Range – Impact Assessment Study IAS Addendum. Highway, with $359 million allocated. Innisfail, Ingham, Cardwell and Tully, and Prepared for Department of Main Roads; Environment North (2006). Integrated Transport Study for Kuranda The Kuranda Range Road (Kennedy plan for and construct the duplication of Range Further Information Report. Prepared for Depart- ment of Main Roads. Highway, Cairns/Mareeba section) links Kuranda Range Road. Department of Main Roads: RTI 135-05880 North Smithfield with Kuranda and is the coastal Queensland Region gateway to the Atherton Tablelands, Cape BACKGROUND NEXT STEPS Over the past decade, the Bruce A number of significant investments 4. Bruce Highway, Innisfail Highway has consistently been rated one have been announced that will Bypass: Continue to preserve of Australia’s highest-risk roads. In 2016 the continue to address safety and the existing bypass corridor and highway accounted for 17% of National efficiency challenges on the TNQ commence transport project casualty crashes on only 7.5% of the entire road network. However, many of planning ($9 million) with a view national network. On the 299 km section these projects are scheduled for to completion by 2022. between Cairns and Townsville, which commencement after 2023. To 5. Bruce Highway, Ingham to carries an estimated 17,250 vehicles per address the critical congestion Cardwell Range Deviation: day, in the five years to 2020 there were and safety issues faced on the road Continue to preserve the 604 casualty crashes and 33 fatalities. transport network, it is essential existing transport corridor and To address the significant safety issues, in that the following key projects be commence transport project 2013 the Federal Government introduced brought forward and commenced in planning ($48 million) with a the $12.6 billion Bruce Highway Upgrade 2021-2024: view to completion by 2023. Program, which has led to step-change 1. Kuranda Range Road: Release 6. Bruce Highway, Cairns to investments in north Queensland sections the findings of the $1.25 million Townsville: Develop a strategic of the highway. Together with the State Cairns to Northern Tablelands transport plan for the Bruce Hwy Government, to date this has delivered: access strategy (completed). which links northern Australia’s $610 million for Stages 1 to 4 of Cairns 2. Kuranda Range Road: two largest centres, Cairns and Southern Access upgrades with another Business case ($20 million) to Townsville $225 million committed for Stage 5; $9 design and cost upgrades by million committed for Innisfail bypass 2022. planning; $48 million committed to plan for 3. : the Cardwell Range deviation; and another Complete planning for upgrade $ 99.8million committed for Townsville between Cairns and Smithfield Northern Access upgrades. and include $359 million In contrast to the Bruce Highway, the allocated for construction in Kuranda Range Road has been the subject budget forward estimates for of multiple impact assessment and design 2022-2025. studies dating back to 2000 but is yet to see significant investment. The road has already exceeded its capacity of 9,500 vehicle movements per day, catering for • That the Queensland Government releases the findings of the $1.25 million Cairns to Northern Tablelands access strategy, which was completed in late 2020 up to 10,000 daily traffic movements. And • That, following the release of the access strategy, the Queensland and Federal in the 10 years to August 2018, the Cairns Governments commit $20 million (shared 50:50) to undertake, preliminary to Mareeba section of Kennedy Highway evaluation and business case for Kuranda Range Road. experienced 493 unplanned closures with • That through the Bruce Highway program, the State and Federal Governments total closure time of 1,111 hours and an bring forward their commitments to upgrade north Queensland sections of average close time per incident of 2 hours the National Highway A1 to 2022-2025, and commit to developing a strategic and 15 minutes. While the need to upgrade transport plan linking Cairns and Townsville. the road was identified in the 2009-2031 • That the National Highway A1 be extended to Weipa as part of the National Land Far North Queensland Infrastructure Plan, Transport Network (NLTN) more than 10 years on this remains a critical 2021-2022 infrastructure project but is yet to secure Kuranda Range significant funding. Road Business ESTIMATED PROJECT COST $20M Case

Recommended State Investment $10m

Recommended Federal Investment $10m

PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY