Newsroom

June 25, 2025

Katter’s Australian Party MP for Hinchinbrook, Nick Dametto, has slammed the Queensland Government for failing to include the long-awaited North Townsville Road (Woolcock Street) Mount Low to Deeragun road upgrade in this year’s State Budget.

 

Mr Dametto said this revelation would infuriate residents and daily commuters of Townsville’s northern suburbs.

 

“Millions of taxpayer dollars have already been spent on developing an Options Analysis for this project and it was once listed as a live Transport and Main Roads (TMR) project on the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP)[1]. But now it is gone with no funding and no explanation,” he said.

 

“In the lead-up to this year’s State Budget, the TMR Minister used language that fostered a positive expectation for funding to be allocated to progress one of Townsville’s most needed and necessary road projects. Instead, we’ve seen the hopes and dreams of daily road users shattered,” he said.

 

“The LNP State Government has failed to recognise that by progressing this road project, in conjunction with necessary trunk infrastructure, there is an opportunity to unlock 6,000 housing blocks right here in Townsville, while retaining liveability and easing the housing crisis.

 

“Instead, they failed to fund the progression of a project that secures the future growth of our city. Townsville is busting to grow north, and this decision has potential to slow the growth of our city while subjecting existing residents to a substandard road network prone to flooding and carpark like congestion.

 

“Under three terms of Labor, nearly every arterial road of Townsville was upgraded while the north of the city was neglected. You would have hoped under this government, this neglect would have been recognised, but instead this important road project is now in limbo.

 

“This is either gross incompetence from the department for not having the project ready to move to the next stage, or it’s a complete failure by the Minister to understand the needs of Townsville residents.

 

“Woolcock Street is currently operating at capacity and Townsville residents will not put up with congestion that reaches Brisbane standards before anything is done to rectify it. Unfortunately though, it would seem that the Brisbane Olympics and its thirst for funding and required construction has surpassed the needs of North Queenslander’s once again.”

 

Mr Dametto submitted a Question on Notice to the TMR Minister today, seeking an explanation about why this project was removed from the QTRIP report, and how it can proceed in the absence of any budget allocation.