After rallying for weeks, and a convoy to Canberra, central Queensland business leaders are celebrating a win in their fight to get construction started on a billion-dollar infrastructure project.
Construction on the Rockhampton Ring Road was set to start in January 2023, but in October it was indefinitely delayed by the federal government after cost blowouts in the tender process.
This caused outrage across the community, as many businesses had already hired new staff and bought new equipment for the expected boom that would come with the major project.
Jack Trenaman is the CEO of an industrial engineering group and was part of a community-led campaign rallying the government to start the project.
"Our message was very, very clear. Start the Rockhampton Ring Road and stop the politics," Mr Trenaman said.
"That happens too often [in] local, state, federal, all sides of politics … when there's a few disagreements or egos get in the way."
The group held protests, travelled in a convoy to Canberra and painted messaging on silos in the hope of getting a start date out of the federal government.
"We're just saying, come on, you all promised it, we're all ready to go. Let's keep our promises," Mr Trenaman said.
'Getting the ball rolling'
Construction of the ring road will now start in 2023 as originally planned, after the Queensland and federal governments reached a new funding agreement of $280 million to get the first phase underway.
On Friday, the Queensland government confirmed a deal had been struck with the federal government that in exchange for capping the price of coal, the Rockhampton Ring Road project would be revived.
"We're all very pleased that all levels of government have realised that support for this project is required not only for safety with those truck transfers going through the CBD and four school zones … but also just for further flood mitigation," Mr Trenaman said.
The project is jointly funded by the Queensland and federal governments and includes more than 17 kilometres of new road, including 6km of bridges, to be built through the Fitzroy River floodplain connecting the Bruce Highway south and north of Rockhampton.
Labor Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga said the funding for the early works package was a win for the region and would support jobs for the next year.
"Once we get the ball rolling, it's really easy to get projects continuing. This one was a struggle to get that ball rolling but it's going," Ms Lauga said.
The early works include upgrades to Boundary Road, McLaughlin street, Monier Road Overpass and the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road intersection.
The project will also provide a connection for the future project to West Rockhampton which will include an upgrade to Lion Creek Bridge, plus connections to local roads.
Federal LNP Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry, federal Member for Flynn Colin Boyce and senator Matthew Canavan welcomed the announcement.
"I am encouraged that both the federal and state Labor governments have made the decision to reinvest the funding from the coal royalties windfall back into the region that generated it," Ms Landry said.
"The Rockhampton Ring Road was a project we never should have had to fight for, the funding for such a vital infrastructure project should never have been delayed in the first place.
"This will see the jobs that local businesses and the community were anticipating go ahead, and that is terrific for the local economy. The sooner this necessary project is completed, the better for the economic strength it will bring to Rockhampton and beyond."
Local businesses ready to go
Mr Trenaman said local businesses were eager for the works to begin.
"Just start sending the tender packages out and the locals here, they're certainly up for the job," he said.
"We've got the Hopkins Brothers, one of the oldest businesses in Rockhampton … they spent $6 million on new equipment for the first time in probably 15 years.
"They had the confidence to buy new equipment for this project and now that there is the opportunity to put that gear into work … everyone's ready now."
