Doubts have been raised over LNP candidate for Longman Wyatt Roy’s $12 million commitment to fix the most dangerous traffic black spots on the D’Aguilar Highway.
Mr Roy said the $12 million will come from the Black Spot Program and be made available immediately if a Coalition Government is elected.
“We will immediately put the money towards there if we win the next election,” Mr Roy said.
But it has been revealed the $12 million funding promise is the total annual funds available for the entire state of Queensland under the Black Spot funding program, leading to doubts over the commitment.
Mr Roy has also been unable to specify where and when the highway improvements would occur.
Labor Member for Longman Jon Sullivan said the Queensland Black Spot independent consultative panel is made up of experts in road safety. It is this group who prioritise road improvement projects across the state.
“That is...until Wyatt Roy decided he knew better,” Mr Sullivan said.
“My opponent appears convinced he can interfere with this independent program’s processes for his own political gain,” he said.
“This shows a complete lack of knowledge of how government programs operate, coming from someone aspiring to represent his area in Parliament.”
He said it would be a shame to see the integrity of the Black Spot Program destroyed by election campaign ``pork barrelling.’’
“While absolutely no schedule has been given for the delivery of these promised upgrades, I note that the $12 million promised by my opponent is a full year’s allocation for the entire state of Queensland under the Black Spot funding program,” Mr Sullivan said.
Mr Sullivan said the LNP had previously voted against an increase in Black Spot funding in parliament, only to throw the cash around during an election campaign.
He said if it is true, this raid on Black Spot funding to shore up a political campaign showed a lack of ethics by his opponent.
A delegation including Mr Sullivan, State Member for Glass House Andrew Powell and Federal Member for Fisher Peter Slipper met with Transport Minister Anthony Albanese late last year to ask for funding for the road, with a decision on Black Spot funding yet to be made.
But it has been estimated that between $40-$60 million is needed to improve the safety and efficiency of the road to meet population growth and solve the traffic gridlock created by events such as Splendour In The Grass and Woodford Folk Festival.
Residents have become increasingly frustrated after ongoing crashes on the highway, but no level of government has yet made any significant funding pledge toward fixing the highway.
He said his funding would pay for the installation of a few guard rails at some locations and reduce problems such as “aqua-planing”, but called on the State Government for more funding to fix the highway.
“This is a state road and I think the state Labor government should be putting money toward it.’’
D’Aguilar Highway Kills Fix It Now lobby group member Kaylene Woodward, whose 19-year-old daughter was killed on the D’Aguilar Highway, said too many lives had been lost on the highway and it was time for serious action.
“You don’t say I can help you out and then say: `this is what we got and it is not going to do jack’,” she said.
“They know it is not enough. They are just trying to get brownie points.”
In Wamuran to announce the funding, the Coalition’s Queensland election spokesman George Brandis responded to questions about the size of the funding pledge by saying money was scarce and election commitments had to be made “sparingly.”
The statement comes just weeks after the Opposition matched a Labor commitment to build a Redcliffe rail link, pledging $750 million.
Asked whether the rail link was a higher priority, Mr Brandis said: “It is not a question of whether one thing is a higher priority than another.”
Meanwhile, three years since the D’Aguilar Highway Kills group began lobbying for an upgrade, members say they are still waiting for serious funding.
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