Ms KING (Pumicestone—ALP) (2.16 pm): I have some great news today. Beachmere is an awesome township in my electorate, and I have some fantastic news for them today. Two things unite the people of Beachmere: the first is that they believe Beachmere is the best town in the world and the second is that they all want Beachmere Road upgraded to get them home sooner and safer.

Well before I was elected, Beachmere locals asked me to advocate for their road to get a much needed upgrade. That is why I went to the 2020 election with a $7.775 million commitment to improve Beachmere Road, starting with three-quarters of a million dollars for community consultation and link planning.

Beachmere Road is nine kilometres long. It carries over 6,500 vehicles a day. It is a key connection, but I was always very clear that my $7.775 million would not do all of the work that Beachmere Road required. It would deliver important safety upgrades, but it was never going to fix the whole road.

Community consultation duly began in 2021, and locals’ response to that consultation was unprecedented, with over 500 community members having their say. They told TMR that their priorities were road surface upgrades, shoulder widening and better safety. At the end of the day, Beachmere Road needed more work than my $7.775 million commitment would cover. Today that is about to change!

I worked really hard to advocate for bigger and better upgrades to Beachmere Road, so today I am delighted to announce that our Palaszczuk government will double the funding from $7.775 million to $15.275 million so Beachmere Road can be upgraded all the way from Bribie Island Road to Biggs Avenue. I know that will be enormously welcome news for residents of Beachmere.

We are doubling funding for Beachmere Road to build Beachmere locals a nine-metre wide road all the way from Bribie Island Road to Biggs Avenue to get them home sooner and safer. That extra money will install a wide centre-line treatment along the length of Beachmere Road to provide a visual barrier separating oncoming vehicles, offering guaranteed safety benefits.

The extra funding also means that we will be able to build dedicated right-turn lanes at the intersection to Riversleigh Road and at the entrance to Monty’s Marina to increase safety for drivers heading eastward towards Beachmere. It will also resurface Beachmere Road from Jocelyn Street to Egan Avenue so residents get a smoother, safer drive.

I thank Minister Bailey for always accepting my somewhat persistent advocacy on this matter and for really listening to the people of Beachmere about what they needed. I am so proud that our Palaszczuk Labor government is doubling our funding for Beachmere Road so Beachmere locals get their road upgraded from start to finish.