POPULAR WORDS

September 23, 2009

The Queensland Government has committed to upgrading a key livestock transport route currently closed to B-doubles in the North Burnett region, hailed as a major win by the beef industry.

Premier Anna Bligh has committed to spending $17 million upgrading the 77km Eidsvold-Theodore Road, which has been blocked to B-doubles for more than a year.

Bligh used a speech to an AgForce conference last week to outline the Government’s integrated transport strategy for rural communities, still under development, while committing to ongoing subsidies for cattle rail services to continue.

Bligh acknowledges the access issues on the Eidsvold-Theodore Road have caused major interruption for rural industries.

“This road has major regional significance, particularly for producers who feed onto it, and the ban on B-doubles has cost them time and expense in loading and transporting cattle on and off property,” she told the conference.

“With movement across the tick-line complicating the transport options for beef producers we needed B-doubles on the road again as quickly as possible.”

AgForce President John Cotter says having access to an effective transport network is vital for farmers.

“This commitment by Government will be very well received as it removes an impost on producers and the regional community,” he says.