Bipartisan Support for John Peterson Bridge

Council welcomes the election commitment made overnight by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Labor candidate for Flynn Zac Beers, committing $24 million in funding towards the replacement of the John Peterson Bridge over the Boyne River near Mundubbera.

Mayor Chambers said “this is fabulous news as we now have bipartisan support for this essential piece of linking infrastructure.  The push for this piece of infrastructure has been ongoing and long standing and has recently been given an advocacy boost by Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDO) who rallied business, industry and community to form the Mundubbera to Jandowae Roads Working Group.”

“Transport is a huge issue when moving produce from paddock to plate and the Labor Party has demonstrated it support and commitment to not only the North Burnett, but also the South Burnett, Toowoomba and Bundaberg Regions with this announcement.  “

 “Council would like to acknowledge the State Governments support in this project by completing the detailed designs and costings required to replace and realign the existing low-level timber bridge with a new high-level bridge. Council received correspondence from the State Government in December 2018, which estimated current construction cost of $20 million.  This is predicted to escalate to $23.8m by 2022-23. Labor’s announcement covers this cost at $24 million.”

“The new bridge will improve safety for road users, allow improved transport options and improve our region’s flood resilience, enabling the north-south link in times of disaster. Council will continue to work alongside all levels of government and community to see this project commence.”

“This is just one project identified in Council’s Advocacy Action Plan 2019 – 2023 and we hope to see further investment commitments for the North Burnett.”