Community & Business
13 July, 2021
Katter calls for upgrades to Regional road network
OOTANN Road and the Kuranda Bypass Road have been identified as major arteries in the road network of Far North Queensland by leader of Katter’s Australia Party (KAP) Robbie Katter after a recent visit to the Tablelands.
OOTANN Road and the Kuranda Bypass Road have been identified as major arteries in the road network of Far North Queensland by leader of Katter’s Australia Party (KAP) Robbie Katter after a recent visit to the Tablelands.
Mr Katter was invited to the Tablelands last week and got the chance to speak to some important local organisations including the Mareeba Chamber of Commerce.
During his conversation with Chamber president Joe Moro Mr Katter identified several issues that needed addressing including road infrastructure.
“We felt that we needed to have better dialogue with the Katter party, we work a lot with Shane Knuth and we think he does a lot of great work,” Mr Moro said.
“At the end of the day the Government makes the decisions so we do most of our discussion with the member for Cook and the Premier in particular.
“If we want to push some policy agendas for the future it is also important to talk to the opposition and the Katter party.
“We see the Katter party as being the strongest of all the minor parties and with the strongest connection to North Queensland.”
While speaking to Mr Katter Mr Moro identified that the three biggest issues that the Chamber faces in any industry is, “roads, roads and roads.”
“Whether it’s a council road, state road and in some cases a federal road,” Mr Moro said.
“Ootann Road is very important to the Chamber, it always has been.
“It is probably the most important piece infrastructure that will see northern Australia and of course Far North Queensland reach fuller potential.”
Ootann Road and the Kuranda Bypass Road have been identified as vital parts of FNQ’s road infrastructure that cannot be ignored.
“They all link, you can’t just do one and forget about the others, if you don’t look at them from a holistic approach you don’t develop its full capacity,” Mr Moro said.
This view is shared by Mr Katter who believes that these roads act as vital arteries for several industries from horticulture to cattle to tourism.
“If the government comes back and says, ‘we do not have the money’ we just can’t accept that, that’s ridiculous,” Mr Katter said.
“They can’t provide the funding to have a vital artery between our highly productive areas, not just through the Mareeba district but right through the Gulf.
“You will see the exact same sort of numbers spent on the Olympic Games down in the southeast corner for them to have a two-week party.”
Out of the Queensland budgets recent $27.5 billion, four-year road and transport investment plan the Far North only saw just over $1 billion, all going towards Cairns upgrades.
