A group of prominent organisations have echoed RACQ’s call for urgent action on the Bruce Highway.
RACQ has received prominent support for its campaign to Fix the Bruce after a member and community poll saw it identified as their top priority for the State Election campaign.
The Club has been joined by the Local Government Association of Queensland, Queensland Farmers Federation, Queensland Trucking Association, Royal Australian College of Surgeons Queensland and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council in urging political parties to commit to a 10-year funding plan with the Federal Government to eliminate all ‘two-star’ sections of the Bruce Highway.
RACQ analysis of AusRAP crash data revealed the Bruce Highway had an average Fatal and Serious Injury (FSI) crash rate three to five times higher than major national highways in New South Wales and Victoria.
The data, from 2018 to 2022, shows upgrades, including the installation of dual carriageways on the Hume and Pacific Highways had almost eliminated the head-on crash risk – the type of crash responsible for more than half (81) of all fatalities on the Bruce Highway.
By contrast, 1,398km of the Bruce Highway (from Gympie to Cairns) remains single-lane and undivided, leading to an average ‘per kilometre travelled’ FSI crash rate three times higher than rural sections of the Pacific Highway and five times higher than rural sections of the Hume Highway.
RACQ Managing Director and Group CEO David Carter said the shocking statistics highlighted the urgent need to Fix the Bruce.
“The Bruce Highway is the backbone of this State." Mr Carter said.
“It’s supposed to be a national highway but when you compare it to the Pacific or Hume, it’s substandard.
“Those interstate highways have rightfully been upgraded to three, four and five stars out of five for infrastructure safety, yet there are still significant lengths of the Bruce that are a two-star rating.
"We know proper upgrades work and safer roads save lives.
“We need a 10-year funding commitment from the State and Federal Governments to continue upgrading the Bruce Highway.
“We also need the State Government to fight for an 80-20 funding split commitment from the Federal Government.”
The Bruce highway is the backbone of this state
RACQ asked Queenslanders to nominate their top election priorities from a shortlist of 10 wide-ranging issues relevant to the Club’s core advocacy and business areas.
Fix the Bruce topped the poll ahead of Give us a fair go on fuel and Plan and build for growth.
RACQ will continue to advocate for members to seek commitments from all political parties to address these three priorities during the election campaign.
The Labor Government has committed to implementing RACQ’s proposal to cap daily fuel price increases at five cents per litre if re-elected.
The State Election will be held on 26 October.
Top photo: RACQ Managing Director and Group CEO David Carter speaks at a Fix the Bruce media event. Photo Jake Ryan.