A new heavy vehicle rest area is set to be constructed in the outback town of Richmond, Queensland, directly opposite a new roadhouse that’s been designed with triple road trains in mind.
The project is being jointly funded by the Richmond Shire Council and the Federal Government, who will each commit $139,405.
Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz recently visited Richmond as part of a week-long trip in Far North and Western Queensland with local mayors to see the Federal Government’s 10-year, $110 billion nation-wide Infrastructure Investment Program underway.
As part of the trip, Buccholz and his team covered almost 2900 kilometres across nine shires and visited 18 projects, which represent $200 million in Federal Government funding.
Along the route, Buccholz stopped in Richmond and chatted to Mayor of Richmond Shire Council, Cr John Warton about the importance of the new roadhouse and rest stop facilities for the town. “Half our streets are road train routes, we made them that way so trucks can get around. Trucks are really important to the economy of Australia,” said Warton, who is Queensland’s longest-serving mayor.
“We need our truckies to be alert, we need them to healthy, we need them to be rested.”
Buccholz, a former truckie himself, had the opportunity to inspect the site where the new Richmond heavy vehicle rest area will be built. “The Richmond Roadhouse was a place of refuge for transport workers during the recent floods, and this rest area upgrade has been much needed for a long time,” he said.
“We then ventured south on the Richmond – Winton Road to see the work underway by the Shire on the Federal Government’s $10.4 million progressive seal of this vital freight route.”
Buchholz’s week-long trip also included stops at:
- Flinders Shire with Mayor Jane McNamara to inspect the $16 million Torrens Creek – Aramac Road project and the $8 million Prairie Creek Bridge project;
- The Kennedy Developmental Road (KDR) north of Hughenden to see graders shifting gravel on the second $40 million tranche of Federal funding for the KDR;
- Cloncurry to meet with Mayor Greg Campbell and inspect the sites of the proposed $443,783 upgrade to the Cloncurry Clean Yards and the $2m Coppermine Creek Bridge replacement;
- Cloncurry – Dajarra Road, which has received $16 million in Federal funding to seal near Phosphate Hill;
- the Burke Development Road corridor, which has $50 million allocated under the Federal Government’s Roads of Strategic Importance Program;
- Croydon to see the $4.1 million sealing works on the Croydon – Richmond Road;
- Georgetown to inspect the $487,000 strengthening works on the Little River Bridge,
- east of Georgetown to inspect the Routh Creek Bridge, which will undergo strengthening works; and
- Ootan Road to inspect sealing works that have already been completed.
Buchholz said he looks forward to heading back to Far North Queensland in the near future to see the progression of the Government’s Infrastructure Plan.
“Our Government simply has so much work underway in Northern and Western Queensland, I could not see everything in this trip.
“We know there is more to do. Building relationships with local Mayors and stakeholders will vastly help in understanding future priorities of Far North Queensland.
“I look forward to being back in NQ later this month for the next round of consultations with local and state stakeholders for the ROSI funding priorities.”