Northern Australia Beef Roads Program is a suite of projects designed to deliver targeted upgrades to key roads for transporting cattle in northern Australia. In 2016 the Australian Government announced 18 projects to be funded under this program. This program is separate to the Northern Australia Roads Program, also announced in 2016, which contains a further 20 projects.1
Funding and program status
Funding by the Australian Government is up to 80% of total costs, with the remainder being met by state, territory and local governments. The initial funding allocation by the Australian Government was $100 million, most of which, As of April 2022, has been expended on the identified projects, most of which have been completed or are nearing completion.1
The CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) developed a computer program called Transport Network Strategic Investment Tool (TRANSIT) to help identify ways to reduce travel distance and time, save fuel costs, cut down on wear and tear and minimise stress for truck drivers and cattle.2
Type of work
The work undertaken includes road widening, sealing and pavement renewal.1
Projects
The roads involved in the 18 projects are listed below.1
Queensland
- Road network, Rockhampton, covering parts of:
- Capricorn Highway
- Bruce Highway
- Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road (Yaamba Road, Musgrave Street, Queen Elizabeth Drive)
- Rockhampton-Emu Park Road (Bridge Street, Lakes Creek Road, Emu Park Road)
- Burke Developmental Road (two projects)
- Clermont-Alpha Road (three projects)
- Ootann Road (two projects)
- Gregory Developmental Road
- Richmond-Croydon Road (two projects)
- Cloncurry-Dajarra Road
- Diamantina Developmental Road
- Richmond-Winton Road (two projects)
Northern Territory
Western Australia
White Paper on Developing Northern Australia
The Northern Australia Beef Roads Program is part of the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia, a $600 million commitment to upgrade high priority roads in northern Australia.3
Parliamentary report
The Parliament of Australia has produced a report on transport infrastructure that includes extensive details of the Northern Australia Beef Roads Program, among others.4
References
References
- "Northern Australia Roads Program and Northern Australia Beef Roads Program". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- Edwards, Tom (16 November 2015). "Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss heads up beef roads roundtable in Western Australia's north". ABC News. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- "Northern Australia Roads Program". Regional Development Australia. 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- "Chapter 3 Transport infrastructure". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
Further reading
Further reading
- Hale, Rueben (3 December 2015). "$100m road funds not enough". The West Australian. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- McCosker, Amy (2 October 2015). "Transport priorities debated at development meeting about northern beef roads". ABC News. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- Brann, Matt (13 October 2016). "What's happened to the Federal Government's $100 million northern beef roads program?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 21 June 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- Brann, Matt (9 March 2016). "Northern Territory cattle industry pushes for equal share of $100 million Beef Roads project". ABC News. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2026.