The Queensland Government has announced that it will be re-establishing the Bruce Highway Advisory Council (BHAC) by the end of this year as part of its commitment to providing a long-term plan for the Bruce Highway.
Road safety will be at the forefront of the re-established BHAC, with regional representatives playing a vital role in informing the Council on priority investment locations.
Capacity and flood resilience will also be addressed, with the focus of the BHAC being to advise on current challenges and opportunities as well as investment priorities and sequencing of key upgrades along the Bruce Highway.
Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Brent Mickelberg, will chair the reformed BHAC.
“It’s important we listen to our regional communities to be able to deliver the upgrades that are so desperately needed to the Bruce Highway,” he said.
“We want to hear from a broad cross section of people who drive the Bruce Highway regularly from the Far North to south of the Sunshine Coast, whether they be truck drivers, local commuters or interested stakeholders.”
As the state’s Minister for Transport and Main Roads, one of Mickelberg’s key priorities is to help deliver a long-term upgrade plan to bring the Bruce Highway up to safety standards.
He said he will also be calling out the Federal Government for “cutting its share of funding to the Bruce Highway” as well as calling for a return to the long-standing 80:20 funding split for the national highway.
“I look forward to hearing from regional representatives and their firsthand experience using the Bruce Highway at the first Council meeting scheduled for December 2024,” Mickelberg said.
Expressions of interest are now open to people who regularly use the Bruce Highway between Carseldine and Cairns and can identify priority locations for future investment to improve road safety.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is currently seeking nominations for regional representatives from the following Queensland districts:
- Far North Queensland
- Northern Queensland
- Mackay/Whitsundays
- Fitzroy
- Wide Bay/Burnett
- North Coast
In other news, the new CEO of South Australian express parcel and logistics company, Cochrane’s Transport, has been named.
