Albanese Kicks Off Election Year With $7 Billion Highway Pledge

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to media during a doorstop event in the Gympie Region in central Queensland in Australia on Jan. 6, 2025. AAP Image/Russell Freeman

The Albanese Labor government has pledged $7.2 billion (US$4.4 billion) for upgrades along the Bruce Highway, a long highway network that covers the majority of the Queensland coast.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the promise on Jan. 6, saying the latest round of funding would bring the total Australian government outlay to $17 billion.

Albanese says the upgrade will deliver a three-star safety rating for the 1,679 kilometre (1,043 mile) stretch of road, which is beleaguered by a high fatality rate.

“I’ve driven the Bruce Highway many times, and I know the critical role it plays for Queenslanders, tourists and freight,” Albanese said in announcing the latest funding.

Priority sections of the highway highlighted include Maryborough to Benaraby, Rockhampton to St Lawrence, Bowen to Townsville, and Ingham to Innisfail.

Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King said almost half the Bruce Highway had a two-star safety ranking.

“This historic investment answers the call of Queenslanders to bring the Bruce up to a three-star safety rating so Australians stop losing their loved ones on this road,” she said in a statement.

An amusing road sign along the Bruce Highway near Mackay, Queensland, Australia, on Jan. 7, 2011. Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images

“We are providing a significant and long-term commitment to fixing the Bruce, and I call on the Queensland government to partner with us to get this done.”

The Queensland LNP government was contacted for comment.

Death Toll So Far

The announcement comes as Queensland’s road death toll exceeded 300 lives lost in 2024—the highest fatality rate since 2009.

Forty-one of the state’s deaths were reported on the Bruce Highway.

In a tragic start to the year, another two lives were lost on Jan. 2 when two Sunshine Coast men died on the Wide Bay section of the Bruce Highway.

The Bruce Highway has an average Fatal and Serious Injury crash rate three to five times higher than any major highway in New South Wales and Victoria.

Election Year Kicks Off

The Bruce Highway funding comes just months prior to the federal election, which is yet to be officially called.

Albanese is focusing heavily on Queensland and Western Australia, in the hopes it can sandbag existing seats and wrest new ones from the opposition or Greens.

In October, Queensland voted out its Labor government.

Albanese is expected to travel to North Queensland and, later this week, to Western Australia.

The cost of living has continued to chip away at the government’s favourability, with a December Newspoll showing two-party-preferred support had dropped to 50-50 as Labor continued to lose support in key demographics.

Albanese is expected to announce financial relief measures in the lead-up to the election, including investment in infrastructure, health, childcare and housing.