{"id":281740,"date":"2020-10-19T20:16:57","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T10:16:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=281740"},"modified":"2020-10-20T20:28:29","modified_gmt":"2020-10-20T10:28:29","slug":"is-this-our-most-dangerous-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/10\/19\/is-this-our-most-dangerous-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Is This Our Most Dangerous Road?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cr Kathy Duff … the edges of the Mundubbera-Durong Road have recently been graded but that hasn’t fixed the safety issues on the key transport link<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 19, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett councillor Kathy Duff may be smiling in the photo, but she’s not happy with the state of the Mundubbera-Durong Road.<\/p>\n

Cr Duff took the opportunity on Saturday to show southburnett.com.au<\/strong> the narrow, one-lane stretch near Boondooma which, unbelievably, carries multiple B-doubles and other heavy transport vehicles daily.<\/p>\n

Travelling south from Mundubbera, the road is a smooth, double-lane blacktop with clear line markings.<\/p>\n

But then it suddenly switches to a narrow, unmarked single lane … just before the “Welcome To The South Burnett” sign greets drivers.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, motorists blame the South Burnett Regional Council for the sudden drop in road quality, but the Mundubbera-Durong Road is actually a State Government responsibility.<\/p>\n

Local residents formed the\u00a0Mundubbera to Jandowae Roads Working Group in 2017 to push for upgrades to this vital transport link.<\/p>\n

They lobbied successfully and the State Government allocated funds for the road.<\/p>\n

Since then a lot of work has been done on various sections, but not on the two most dangerous single-lane stretches north of Boondooma Homestead.<\/p>\n

Transport and Main Roads recently graded the edges, removing dangerous drop-offs.<\/p>\n

But that hasn’t fixed the hazard of suddenly meeting a large truck head-on.<\/p>\n

Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington expressed her disappointment when she addressed the South Burnett Regional Council last Wednesday night.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I was very disappointed to see funding go to an area (of the road) that wasn’t as dangerous as other areas,” Mrs Frecklington said.<\/p>\n

“But, you know, that’s what happens when someone from George Street makes a decision because they want to quickly make an announcement and they don’t talk to locals …<\/p>\n

“Every centimetre of that road needs upgrading but surely to goodness we could have started on the single-lane bit where, if you’re coming towards a truck, it’s bloody dangerous to get off.”<\/p>\n

Cr Duff told Mrs Frecklington at the meeting that the expected cost for the upgrade was $20 million and she sought a commitment for the upgrade from the Opposition Leader should the LNP win government at the State election.<\/p>\n

Mrs Frecklington pointed out that without a State Budget being handed down this year, the LNP didn’t know what the State Government had already committed to that road.<\/p>\n

“No Budget, no planning, (we) can’t see what we’re going to spend on roads,” she said.<\/p>\n

But she would “certainly be fighting” for the Mundubbera-Durong Road, and praised Cr Duff for constantly advocating for the upgrade.<\/p>\n

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Where the smooth dual-lane bitumen switches to the single lane section on the Mundubbera-Durong Road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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On Monday, Mrs Frecklington also singled out other roads in the South Burnett and Gympie council areas as key roads that must be fixed urgently.<\/strong><\/p>\n

She said she would also fight to upgrade\u00a0Kilkivan-Tansey Road, Byee Road and the\u00a0Maidenwell-Bunya Mountains Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are important connecting roads have been neglected by Labor for far too long,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Kilkivan-Tansey Road is a major connecting road between the Central and North Burnett and the coast and locals know how terrible sections of this road have become.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact many often choose to take an alternative route rather than risk travelling on this road.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Byee Road is in the same condition. While a short section in the middle has been fixed, the remainder of the single-lane sections need to be widened.\u00a0This road connects the South, Central and North Burnett and is used by many families to get their kids to Wheatlands State School.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have also been fighting for the final section of Maidenwell-Bunya Mountains Road to be sealed, to improve the main connector to the popular Bunya Mountains.”<\/p>\n

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Another local road that concerns local MP Deb Frecklington and the South Burnett Regional Council … the gravel stretch on the Maidenwell-Bunya Mountains Road deters tourists from accessing one of the major attractions in the region<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n