http://aspirecq.com/?p=78
“Tell her she’s dreaming”, that would be the response from Darryl Kerrigan (of ‘The Castle’ fame) to Kirsten Livermore’s call for an eastern highway bypass of Rockhampton and relocating the airport to Hedlow. That’s one of the responses I got to a previous column about establishing an international airport at Raglan and an eastern highway bypass of the city. Take it as a compliment Kirsten; daring to dream and putting it out there for all to read. From Kirsten’s mention of relocating the airport came the call to upgrade the Emu Park airstrip. Brilliant idea, develop the Capricorn Coast as a fly in fly out (FIFO) base. It is recognised mine workers prefer coastal locations with good (not too lengthy) transport links to their work site. An airstrip able to accommodate charter flights to Emerald, Wondoan, Alpha, Dysart, maybe Katherine (am I dreaming Darryl) imagine what a stimulus this would provide. The Whitsunday Council is keen to upgrade the Proserpine Airport primarily to attract more FIFO families. Be good to see our region this proactive. It’s the same with a highway bypass of Rockhampton. It appears if it goes ahead it will be west of the city. An eastern bypass would be more beneficial for the region. Our main tourist assets are coast based moving the highway closer will potentially increase stop-over’s and their duration. Imagine what the result could be.
Including the airport as part of the bypass, strategically located between Rockhampton and Capricornia Coast, facilitating easier access for the defence forces to Shoalwater Bay is visionary, worthy of future investigation and getting on the Council’s agenda.
The Department of Regional Australia has a billion dollar plus budget to invest in regional projects. With our federal member talking major infrastructure, a can do State Member of Keppel and a newish council let us start planning with fresh open minds. Maybe I’m dreaming; I believe Central Queensland has the natural beauty to be an international tourist destination; it’s just lacking the infrastructure. An international airport with a bullet train service to Uluru for example. Let’s hear, talk and act on aspirations for CQ. The future is not to see, it’s to make. Let’s get started.