New 15km roadworks soon underway on Peninsular Development Road

An 11.2-kilometre section between Kennedy and Rocky Creek will be sealed, with work to be undertaken by the Bama Civil and Downer EDI joint venture, along with a 4.4-kilometre section at Fairview West, which has been awarded to RoadTek.

The work will minimise closures on the Peninsula Development Road due to flooding, while improving transport efficiency, reducing maintenance costs and stimulating the tourism, agricultural, mining and pastoral industries in the region, according to federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch.

"The PDR has low reliability with extended and multiple road closures and periods of load restrictions each year due to flooding," he said.

"Unsealed sections generally have substandard drainage and low levels of immunity at waterway crossings.

"When community access roads are closed or subject to load restrictions, road freight stops and has to be replaced by other transport means, which can be many times more expensive.

"This is why we are fixing the PDR for local communities and businesses and the regional economy."

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said it was exciting to see work resume on sealing the PDR.

"Over the past five years, we have sealed 173 kilometres of the road, but there is more work to do," he said.

"With the wet season over, it's important we continue to improve safety and access for communities on the Cape.

"Better roads mean reduced maintenance costs on gravel sections and road closures during the wet season.

"This is about giving locals more reliable roads and visitors more access to discover this amazing part of Queensland."

The indigenous components contained within the program have been highlighted, particularly by Senator Susan McDonald, who said all PDR works were carried out under an agreement between the Queensland government.

"The ILUA sets out Key Result Areas relating to economic opportunities, training and local industry participation, which were built into all construction contracts," Senator McDonald said.

"The KRA's have facilitated unprecedented local access to employment opportunities, training and business development in civil construction and cultural heritage.

"Over the construction life of the PDR program, 84 indigenous trainees in civil construction started or completed nationally recognised competencies for different civil construction equipment and machinery."

The former state Member for Cook, David Kempton, speaking as the chairman of Regional Development Australia Tropical North, said he was delighted to see the employment and education opportunities the project had brought to the indigenous communities along the PDR.

He said that from its inception, RDATN had been a keen advocate of, and stakeholder in, the Cape York Regional Package.

"Improving access across Cape York is vital to our regional growth," he said. "Progressive sealing of the PDR is opening up further tourism opportunities in our region and facilitating the transportation of goods and export produce from FNQ's agricultural areas."

The new sealing work is funded under a $237.5 million partnership between the Australian and Queensland governments under the Roads of Strategic Importance initiative.

The federal government has committed $4.5 billion nationwide to ROSI over the next decade, and federal Road Safety and Freight Transport Assistant Minister Scott Buchholz said upgrades funded under ROSI would better connect regional communities to essential services such as health and education.

"ROSI is supporting critical works on regional roads and inter-regional and interstate highways that address pinch points and other impediments to freight movements," he said. "Importantly, ROSI will boost economic activity and opportunities for business growth in regional communities."

Stage 2 sealing works are expected to be completed by late 2020.