Queensland’s peak motoring body, the RACQ, has announced it has joined forces with a number of leading Queensland organisations to fight for a better Bruce Highway, revealing new data that shows the major arterial highway between Brisbane and Cairns has an average fatal and serious injury (FSI) crash rate, that is three to five times higher than major national highways in New South Wales and Victoria.
Ahead of the Queensland state election due in October, the RACQ, the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), the Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF), the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Queensland (RACS Qld), the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA), and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) are urging political parties to commit to a 10-year funding plan with the Federal Government to urgently eliminate all two-star sections of the infamous highway.
The RACQ’s expert analysis of AusRAP crash data between 2018-2022 shows upgrades, including the installation of dual carriageways on the Hume and Pacific Highways have almost eliminated the head-on crash risk – the crash type in more than half (81) of the fatal crashes on the Bruce Highway.
By contrast, 1,398 kilometres of the Bruce Highway between Gympie and Cairns, remains a single-carriageway and undivided road, leading to an average ‘per kilometre travelled’ FSI crash rate, which is 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 CEO David Carter said the shocking statistics highlight the urgent need to Fix the Bruce.
“The Bruce Highway is the backbone of this state, it’s supposed to be a national highway but when you compare it to the Pacific or Hume, it’s substandard,” Carter said.
“Those interstate highways have rightfully been upgraded to three, four and five stars out of five for infrastructure safety, yet around half of the Bruce is still a poor two-star rating. In 2024, there is no way Queensland should have any two-star sections on the Bruce Highway.
“We know proper upgrades work and safer roads save lives. The Cooroy to Curra section of the Bruce Highway, which is now dual carriageway, has a similar FSI crash rate to rural sections of the Pacific and Hume, which means it’s five times lower than the single lane, undivided sections of the Bruce.
“We need a 10-year funding commitment from the State and Federal Governments to continue upgrading the Bruce Highway by widening narrow sections and bridges, installing more overtaking lanes and progressively duplicating the road to a dual carriageway standard, like the Hume and Pacific Highways in NSW and Victoria,” Carter said.
Queensland Trucking Association CEO, Gary Mahon said the importance of securing the future of freight supply chains in Queensland is without question.
“The road freight industry is heavily reliant on the Bruce Highway as a freight route to deliver into regional communities, get fresh produce to market and resources to ports,” Mahon said.
“Bold investment decisions are needed to make this key freight route safer for our truck drivers “who are providing an essential service to the State.
“Floodway treatments, improvements in the economic carry of bridges and rest areas every 200km must be a priority for the next Queensland Government,” he added.
While welcoming the extra $50 million a year the Queensland state government announced in its budget, the Fix the Bruce groups warned it had been undermined by the Federal government’s changed funding split from 80-20 with the State Government to 50-50.
They are seeking commitments that the State Government will take an industry and government delegation to Canberra in November prior to next year’s Federal Budget to secure fair funding for the Bruce and other road funding and a return to the 80-20 federal-state government funding split.
The road safety alliance is also calling for parties to make state election commitments to further fund the roads that Queenslanders deserve.
LGAQ CEO Alison Smith said safe, reliable transport was critical for communities and councils and Queensland mayors and the LGAQ had joined Queensland Premier Steven Miles in a two-level delegation to Canberra to reverse the 50-50.
“As the level of government closest to their communities, councils see the huge emotional toll that crash deaths and injuries create, even before you come to the economic cost,” Smith said.
“Ensuring more funding flows to improve road safety across our decentralised state is critical to Queensland councils because it is critical to improving the liveability of their local communities.
“This includes crucial funding to improve local and state roads and support jobs throughout regional, rural and remote Queensland under key programs like the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDs), as well as major transportation links like the Bruce Highway, which serves as a vitally important economic and social artery for so many local communities.
“Improving road safety and upgrading regional roads like the Bruce Highway is an important component of councils’ calls for better local infrastructure this State Election but also from the Federal Government.
“The Federal Government needs to restore the 80-20 funding split for Queensland – it is only fair,” Smith said.
Queensland Farmers Federation CEO,Jo Sheppard said the Bruce Highway is an important corridor for the Queensland agriculture sector and regional communities.
“The Bruce Highway is a highway of state significance providing an important conduit for many agriculture industries, while also supporting economic development throughout the State,” Sheppard said.
“Maintaining and enhancing transport and freight infrastructure is not only vital to support agricultural supply chains, which in turn ensures we as consumers have access to affordable Australian produce, it also ensures the safety of regional Queenslanders reliant on these roads,” she added.
“As a state we need vibrant thriving regional communities that support critical sectors like agriculture. If we do not plan, prioritise and invest to support the growing and changing transport and freight needs of the State, we risk the future efficiency of agriculture and other significant sectors’ supply chains and the viability of regional communities. Both of which would have adverse outcomes for the economic outlook for Queensland.”
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Queensland Trauma committee chair, Professor Martin Wullschleger, said the organisation supported upgrades to the Bruce.
“The Queensland Trauma Committee absolutely supports this as we see far too many crash victims in our emergency departments,” Professor Wullschleger said.
“An upgrade would not only ease the load on doctors and health services but most importantly reduce the burden of crashes with injuries and fatalities,” he added.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Brett Fraser said the success of the State’s tourism industry depends on connectivity.
“Queensland tourism operators and key destinations are all too often cut off from the rest of the state and would-be visitors by flooding events impacting major sections of the Bruce Highway,” Mr Fraser said.
“From the city to the bush, it is critical that all of our exceptional locations, experiences and sights be easily accessible by travellers.”
According to the recent RACQ’s State Election priority poll survey, the Bruce Highway continues to be a major concern among Queenslanders with the highway recently being ranked the top priority from a list of 10 in the survey. Likewise Fix the Bruce was the highest ranked issue with 24.6 per cent of respondents saying it was their top priority, while 46.6 per cent had it in their top three. Fix the Bruce was particularly important for regional Queenslanders with 56 per cent nominating it as their first or second priority.
