General News
22 January, 2025
Boulia mayor makes trip to Longreach to talk roads with Premier
Rick Britton wants the state government to take over a piece of his council's highway.
Boulia mayor Rick Britton wants the state government to take control of a 200km stretch of the Donohue Highway that connects his shire with the Northern Territory border.
He says the piece of highway, which has about 69km remaining to seal over the next four years as part of the preparations for the opening of the long-awaited Outback Way that will connect Queensland with Western Australia, is currently classified as a “council road”.
Cr Britton said this highway would require reliable government funding once the Outback Way was established to match the increase in expected road traffic, which was out of financial reach for his small council.
“We would like the state government to take it under their wing as a main road for the state government,” he said.
“Either the state government needs to take over this bit of highway or else there needs to be some sort of funding package created so we know the state government will provide reliable money for Boulia Shire to maintain it.
“I know the state government is usually better at handing over roads to council control, but this will be a vital piece of highway on the Outback Way that will bring economic benefit to all Queenslanders.”
Cr Britton drove to Longreach last Friday to meet with Premier David Crisafulli and discuss control of the highway, among a raft of other local issues facing his shire.
Cr Britton said he has known Mr Crisafulli since he was the Local Government Minister under Campbell Newman more than a decade ago and believed the new Premier understood the financial struggles that plagued vast council areas with limited ratepayer bases.
Cr Britton said the Premier believed the council needed to collate an “economic case” that would explain why a state government takeover would be required in the future.
“I am not opposed to Boulia council making the economic case for the state government takeover and it is something we will start working on,” he told North West Weekly.
“When you look at Boulia council, our core business is being a road building contractor.
“If we come up with some sort of economic formula that shows why this road would be better in the hands of the state government, then there is no reason why the state government wouldn’t do it.”