Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter and Cook candidate Duane Amos inspect the “absolute disgrace” condition of the Myall Creek bridge during a trip to Weipa. Photo: Supplied.
Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) has slammed the condition of the Myall Creek bridge as an “absolute disgrace” and “national embarrassment” during a recent campaign tour of western Cape York.
KAP leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter and Cook candidate Duane Amos inspected the bridge, west of Weipa, last week and condemned the state of the infrastructure, saying it should be a historic tourist attraction, not the only thing linking Weipa, Napranum and Mapoon to the rest of the region.
“It’s a national embarrassment that the only road access to our northern precincts with more than 8,000 permanent residents and 80,000 more tourists each year still has 145 kilometres of unsealed ‘highway’ and rickety wooden bridges such as the Myall Creek bridge in use – and this is the National Highway 1,” Mr Katter said.
“For far too long, the seat of Cook has been the forgotten electorate, with so-called representation from members of Brisbane-centric parties.”
Mr Amos echoed his party leader’s sentiment and said the current situation was having significant economic and social impacts on the region during the wet season.
“Myall Creek bridge should be an historic tourist attraction at best for the 80,000 southern tourists, not an integral part of the national highway, and it’s a visual reminder of the failed investment into our road network,” he said.
“This heavy vehicle alternate deep concrete culvert goes under at the first sign of a river flow, while the 25-tonne rated timber bridge quickly follows, however, remains wholly unsuitable for heavy traffic.
“If the Government, 3,000 kilometres away, invested in wet season-proofing the Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR) and key crossings, Weipa could have a secure future and all-year access to bauxite mining as far down as Aurukun.”
The KAP leader said he believed if investment to seal the PDR and construct suitable river and creek crossings was not made urgently, the growth and prosperity of Cape York would be hamstrung.
