Springfield, November 20, 2023 – Springfield based Senator Paul Scarr says he is deeply concerned about the negative impacts for the Ipswich Region arising from the Albanese Labor Government’s infrastructure cuts and delays.
“At the same time that the Albanese Labor Government is presiding over record rates of net overseas migration into Australia, it is cutting and delaying infrastructure projects. It makes no sense.”
“I am very concerned about the impact the Albanese Labor Government’s infrastructure cuts will have on the Greater Ipswich Region. Ipswich is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. We simply do not have the infrastructure – roads, rail and bridges – to support the population growth.
“There are two key projects which the people of Ipswich have been waiting to be addressed for years and years – the Amberley Interchange and the Mt Crosby Interchange. These issues should have been addressed years ago.
“Back in 2018, the Coalition Government put $170 million on the table to work with the Palaszczuk Labor Government to fix the Amberley Interchange. The Palaszczuk Labor Government could not get its act together and so we now have the same $170 million in Federal funding provided in 2023 – five years later – bundled together for the Cunningham Highway. No additional funding has been provided. With cost blow outs, how is this going to be sufficient to fix the Amberley Interchange? When is it going to be fixed? The people of Ipswich deserve answers.
“I have similar concerns for the Mt Crosby Interchange. The funding has now been bundled up for the Warrego Highway. There is no additional Federal funding provided. What is this going to mean in practice for the local residents who have been calling for this issue to be fixed for years and years? It is just not good enough.”
“The Albanese Labor Government has announced that it is moving to a 50:50 standard funding split for all new projects with the State Government. The Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads said yesterday that this would cost the Queensland Government between $600 million to $1 billion a year. Again, what does this mean for the people of Ipswich? Are the infrastructure projects Ipswich needs going to be put on the never-never?”
“This is an absolute fiasco and the people of Ipswich have every right to hold both the Palaszczuk Queensland Government and Albanese Federal Government to account.”
