A Shorten Labor Government will invest $47.5 million in the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road – creating up to 150 new local jobs for Rockhampton and regional Queensland.

The proposed project is Stage 1 of a three stage improvement project on the Rockhampton – Yeppoon Road, and is part of Labor’s Plan for Real Jobs in Regional Queensland.

The Rockhampton – Yeppoon Road forms part of Queensland’s key freight network, B-double network and is the major road link to Great Keppel Island.

But an increase in travel demand, partly through more tourism in the region has seen traffic flow increase significantly to more than 12,200 vehicles per day. This includes over 1000 trucks and buses daily.

This increase in economic activity is a good thing for jobs in the region, but it also potentially increases safety risks, and travel times for local residents.

The project will see the construction of a dual carriageway between Limestone Creek and Tanby Road on the Rockhampton – Yeppoon Road, increasing economic productivity, lowering travel times and improving road safety.

It will also accommodate for future growth in traffic as a result of increased economic activity in the region.

Labor’s number one priority for Queenslanders is jobs. It always has been and it always will be.Bill Shorten and Labor have spent a lot of time in regional Queensland, holding town hall meetings and listening to locals about what matters to them.

The local community has been campaigning for many years to see the duplication of the Rockhampton – Yeppoon Road become a reality. Labor has listened and now we are delivering.

This package builds on the plans Labor has already announced for Rockhampton; such as committing the full $176 million federal share to build the Rookwood Weir, delivering more than 2,000 construction and agriculture jobs and ensuring water security across Central Queensland, as well as $25 million to build the South Rockhampton Flood Levee to better protect homes and businesses from devastating flood waters.

Labor can fund these job-creating projects because unlike Turnbull and the Conservatives, we aren’t giving new tax handouts to multinationals and millionaires.

A factsheet with more information can be found here.