A GROUP of Queensland councils advocating for the upgrade of a series of important livestock transport roads say they are confident $400m promised from the Federal Government will come through as scheduled.

Earlier this year, concerns were raised by Nationals MPs Michelle Landry and Colin Boyce, along with Senator Matthew Canavan about the Labor Government pushing its $400m share in Beef Corridors funding back from the 2025/26 financial year to the 2027/28 financial year. The Qld Government has committed $100m to the project.

The seven Central Qld councils forming Beef Corridors committee last week travelled to Canberra to meet with politicians from both major parties – including agriculture minister Murray Watt and roads minister Catherine King.

Beef Corridors chair and Isaac Regional Council Mayor Kelly Vea Vea said the trip to Canberra made it clear the road upgrades had support from both sides of politics, ahead of State and Federal elections in the coming year.

“It is not often you get bi-partisan support at both tiers of Government when you are heading to multi-layered elections like we are in the coming year,” Cr Vea Vea said.

“At a state level there has always been bi-partisan support and after last week we are quite confident that all major parties understand the importance of the project.

Cr Vea Vea said the next step of the process was for the seven councils involved to work with the State Government to sort out priority roads, which starts next month.

“Since there are seven councils involved, not everyone is going to get everything they are after. But we do have a collective agreement to support each other on our way to completing the bigger project,” she said.

“That will begin next month and we will sort it out over three meetings with the State Government.”

What is the Qld Beef Corridors?

Qld Beef Corridors was started at the Beef 2021 event in Rockhampton by a group of seven Central Qld councils who were seeking funding to upgrade roads and improve access to saleyards, processors and live export facilities on the east coast.

The councils included: Rockhampton, Gladstone, Barcaldine, Isaac and Central Highlands Regional Councils, as well as Woorabinda Aboriginal and Banana Shire Councils.

The main aim of the project was to seal 457km of unsealed roads and upgrade three heavy vehicles for access to the Port of Gladstone and processing facilities in Rockhampton.

QBF says the project is worth $809m and have been calling for the Federal Government to fund 80pc and the State Government to fund 20pc.