Work has officially begun on the first project under the Australian and Queensland governments $500 million Queensland Beef Roads program.
The program will see progressive upgrades and sealing works rolled out on critical freight routes across Central Queensland, over the next 10 years – to improve transport efficiency, safety, and resilience for Queensland’s beef industry.
The initial $47.5 million early works package will start with sealing a priority section of Clermont-Alpha Road, approximately 89 kilometres north of Alpha in the Barcaldine Region.
The early works package forms part of the Central Queensland Beef Roads Investment Strategy (CQBRIS), which was developed in partnership with seven regional councils forming the Queensland Beef Corridors (QBC) group, industry, and both levels of government.
The CQBRIS sets out priorities to seal nine key beef corridor roads to help strengthen supply chains, reduce costs, and support economic growth across Central Queensland.
The program is backed by $400 million from the Australian Government and $100 million from the Queensland Government.
Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said, “The Central Queensland Beef Corridor road network are critical routes for cattle freight. These roads stretch around 218,000 square kilometres, which is an area about the same size as Great Britain.
“Managing a road network of this magnitude is challenging but critically important to support the movement of about $1.7 billion in freight and agricultural produce – primarily Australian beef – each year.
“The sealing of these strategic beef corridor roads will improve the cattle supply chain in the region from our primary producers to saleyards, processing facilities and onto plates both here and overseas.”
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King added that Queensland’s beef cattle industry is world class and makes an incredible contribution to the nation’s economy.
“We welcome this investment strategy which considers short, medium and long-term priorities to fully seal nine unsealed roads,” she said.
“This first project marks a significant milestone in the upgrades of the beef road network, which is good for our nation’s freight productivity, good for Central Queenslanders, and good for our truckies who use these roads every day.”
Alongside the Clermont-Alpha Road works, the early works package will deliver widening, sealing and floodway upgrades to Alpha-Tambo Road, Fitzroy Developmental Road between Bauhinia and Duaringa, and on May Downs Road.