RACQ: Queensland’s Motorists Ignored By Major Parties

Queensland's peak motoring organisation RACQ says Australia's major parties have snubbed Queensland motorists, ignoring ten "vital" state transport projects in desperate need of Federal funding.

“A significant boost in Federal funding is needed to upgrade Queensland’s transport system and tackle a backlog of projects that will save lives, cut congestion and minimise travel delays,” RACQ spokesperson Gary Fites said.

Mr Fites said that although the Coalition has promised around $650 million in upgrades and new developments, and the Labor Government has committed funds to Townsville's ring road and $70 million to the Warrego Highway's Blacksoil interchange, neither party has offered a firm position on other "urgent" projects.

"We are disappointed that both parties have failed to make any major impression on the infrastructure scorecard. This shows a real lack of vision on their part,” Mr Fites said.

“Less than a third of the 38 cents a litre excise on petrol and diesel is actually returned to motorists in the form of funding to build and maintain our roads."

In a pre-election RACQ poll, 75 percent of the members surveyed (total number of respondents not available) said the current percentage of fuel excise actually spent on roads was “much too low”. Of those, 24 percent of respondents said that fuel excise revenue should only be used to fund roads.

The RACQ’s 'Top 10' major transport priorities projects for Queensland are:

• Toowoomba bypass construction (total cost $1.3 to $1.8 billion)
• Warrego Highway Toowoomba to Morven upgrade ($215 million)
• Warrego Highway Ipswich to Toowoomba upgrade ($165 million)
• Brisbane’s Gateway Motorway upgrade of northern section ($2 billion)
• Pacific Motorway Eight Mile Plains to Springwood upgrade ($420 million)
• Ipswich Motorway planning for Rocklea to Darra upgrade ($10 million)
• Brisbane CBD cross river rail link ($8.2 billion)
• Bruce Highway upgrade from Cooroy-Curra ($1.8 billion)
• Bruce Highway upgrade from Gympie to Gladstone ($105 million)
• Bruce Highway Sarina to Cairns flood-mitigation, safety and congestion relieving projects ($955 million).