Roadworks on Middle Creek Road at Federal are now complete after a $1.29 million safety upgrade was funded by the former Coalition Government through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
Work on the upgraded stretch of road, which links Federal State School and Andersons Road, was fast tracked to cater for increased traffic flow due to the Black Mountain landslide diversion, and to provide a safer route and better travel times for motorists.
Middle Creek Road has been carrying extra traffic while the Black Mountain Road landslide is being repaired, and a 2.1 kilometre section has now been strengthened with improved drainage, line markings and signage. The road shoulder has also been widened and sealed to improve safety and make it easier for drivers to navigate.
The former Coalition Government committed $5,157,006 to Noosa Council, via the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, enabling it to select local road and community infrastructure projects that create employment and deliver long-lasting benefits to the community.
Mobile Black Spot Funding
With the threat of natural disasters in Wide Bay like bushfires and floods, and our many dangerous roads, it’s important that people can get the call out for help when they need to contact emergency services. We also need to make sure that families and businesses can connect and communicate, so it’s important for the Government to keep on working with telecommunication companies to extend and improve the mobile phone and broadband networks throughout Wide Bay.
The former Liberal and Nationals Coalition Government understood this and extended the mobile phone network into black spot areas by providing subsidies for telecommunication companies to boost coverage in locations where it wasn’t economically viable for them to do so alone. Across Australia, the Coalition Government’s Mobile Phone Black Spot Program leveraged $875 million to invest in 1270 new mobile stations.
In Wide Bay, the Coalition Government worked with telcos to extend the mobile phone network to 19 locations, including Wolvi Mountain Road, Kin Kin, Boreen Point and Cootharaba, and there are still many locations across the 14,227sq km Wide Bay electorate that need coverage.
The new Regional Connectivity and Mobile Black Spots Grants supports network operators to extend communications coverage to rural and regional locations. Licensed telecommunications carriers, or a consortium made up of a carrier, state or local governments, regional development bodies, or industry, business, or community groups can apply for funding to deliver new place-based or improved broadband and mobile services in regional areas.
A project noticeboard has been established to assist communities to form partnerships with the telecommunications sector to develop applications for funding, and project proposals can be uploaded to the noticeboard until 31 May 2023. Further information about the program is available at infrastructure.gov.au/rcp
Just as we need to continue to invest in new and upgraded roads, we also need to make new investments to continually improve and extend communications networks, as the former Coalition Government did. I am continuing to make representations to the Minister for Communications to encourage the Australian Government to address black spots in Wide Bay so people in all communities can stay in touch.
