Flooding puts focus on failing major highway
North Queensland has been lashed by days of downpours, triggering floodwaters that cut the Bruce Highway and completely isolated some communities.
Ingham near Townsville was one of the worst hit, with the critical Ollera Creek Bridge collapsing amid the deluge. A temporary replacement was put in place on Thursday.
Residents are being advised a temporary bridge has been constructed on the Bruce Highway at Ollera Creek to assist in getting critical emergency services and supplies into isolated areas from Townsville.https://t.co/8qe1RAdxvD pic.twitter.com/g1HODcxb6M
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) February 6, 2025
The isolation meant helicopters were required to drop essential supplies to the town.
There had been ongoing problems with the Bruce Highway, with Premier David Crisafulli labelling it a "goat track" before winning the 2024 state election.
It led to the Commonwealth recently committing $7.2 billion to a $9 billion upgrade of the 1600km highway, built as part of a 80:20 funding arrangement with the state government.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the recent flooding had reinforced the importance of producing a new and improved Bruce Highway.
"Forty-two Australians lost their lives on the Bruce Highway last year and that is why when you go up and down this highway, we need to do better," he said on Thursday.
"My government is working constructively with Queensland to make sure we do just that."
An inland freight route has remained open as rain hit the region.
"We can run bigger combinations up that route, it takes the pressure off the Bruce (Hwy), it lowers the fuel burn, it is already a much more reliable all-weather route," Queensland Trucking Association CEO Gary Mahon told AAP.
Mr Mahon claimed drivers were more inclined to take the inland route, which runs west of Brisbane through Roma then up to Charters Towers, saying it was more safe despite being 120km longer.
"More members are taking the option of going up the inland freight route ... they're not interacting with cars anywhere near as much, there's actually better provision of rest areas," he said.
Truck drivers are also venturing between 400km to 800km further in their trips due to detours and road closures from the rainfall, with price increases roughly $35 a pallet, Mr Mahon said.
He said while northern residents were used to dealing with flooding, conditions on the Bruce Highway had to improve so entire towns were not cut off each year by weather.
"We also need reliability and sustainability to be injected into that road so that we've got a much more sustainable all-weather route," he said.
Meanwhile, the state government on Thursday announced that shops, warehouses and transport depots in 11 north Queensland local government areas will temporarily operate 24/7 after an emergency planning declaration due to the floods.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
2 days ago
- NBC News
Economists doubt Trump outlook that US will sell 'so much' beef to Australia
WASHINGTON/CANBERRA/CHICAGO, July 25 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said the sell 'so much' beef to Australia after Canberra relaxed import restrictions on Thursday, but economists and traders said high prices and tight supplies make major American exports unlikely. Australia said it would loosen biosecurity rules for U.S. beef. The move will not significantly increase U.S. shipments, though, because Australia is a major beef producer and exporter whose prices are much lower, analysts said. U.S. companies export small quantities of beef to Australian buyers. They import much more in the form of lean beef used to make hamburgers, particularly as U.S. production has declined because of tight cattle supplies. U.S. beef prices set records this year after ranchers slashed their herds due to drought that burned up pasturelands used for grazing. The total herd size fell to 94.2 million head as of July 1, a record low for that date, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data on Friday. A ban on cattle imports from Mexico because of New World screwworm, a devastating livestock pest, and steep tariffs on Brazilian beef that are set to take effect on Aug. 1 could further tighten meat supplies, and require additional imports of Australian beef. 'We can't get enough beef in the U.S. right now, so we're bringing it in from Australia and Brazil,' said Dan Norcini, an independent U.S. livestock trader. 'We're not going to be selling anything significant to anyone.' Last year, Australia shipped almost 400,000 metric tons of beef worth $2.9 billion to the United States, with just 269 tons of U.S. product moving the other way. 'They have more cattle than people,' said David Anderson, an agricultural economist at Texas A&M University. 'That's why they export so much.' Different taste U.S. and Australian beef also taste different. Many Australians like the grass-fed beef raised there, not marbled beef from U.S.-raised cattle that are generally fed with grain, said Jerry Klassen, chief analyst for Resilient Capital in Winnipeg. He predicted the United States will not export substantial amounts of beef to Australia in the next five years. 'We just aren't in a position to export much beef to anyone, and the reality is Australia doesn't really have much need for U.S. beef,' said Karl Setzer, partner at Consus Ag. The barriers that remain to exporting significant volumes of U.S. beef to Australia appeared to be lost on Trump this week. 'We are going to sell so much to Australia because this is undeniable and irrefutable Proof that U.S. Beef is the Safest and Best in the entire World,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 'The other Countries that refuse our magnificent Beef are ON NOTICE.' Trump has attempted to renegotiate trade deals with numerous countries he says have taken advantage of the United States, a characterisation many economists dispute. 'For decades, Australia imposed unjustified barriers on U.S. beef,' U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement, calling Australia's decision a 'major milestone in lowering trade barriers and securing market access for U.S. farmers and ranchers.' Australian officials say the relaxation of restrictions was not part of any trade negotiations but the result of a years-long assessment of U.S. biosecurity practices. Canberra has restricted U.S. beef imports since 2003 due to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Since 2019, it has allowed in meat from animals born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S. but few suppliers were able to prove that their cattle had not been in Canada and Mexico. The U.S. sources some of its feeder cattle from the two neighboring countries. On Wednesday, Australia's agriculture ministry said U.S. cattle traceability and control systems had improved enough that Australia could accept beef from cattle born in Canada or Mexico and slaughtered in the United States. The decision has caused some concern in Australia, where biosecurity is seen as essential to prevent diseases and pests from ravaging the farm sector. 'We need to know if (the government) is sacrificing our high biosecurity standards just so Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can obtain a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump,' shadow agriculture minister David Littleproud said in a statement. Australia faces a 10% across-the-board U.S. tariff, as well 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trump has also threatened to impose a 200% tariff on pharmaceuticals. Asked whether the change would help achieve a trade deal, Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said: 'I'm not too sure.' 'We haven't done this in order to entice the Americans into a trade agreement,' he said. 'We think that they should do that anyway.'
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
Youngkin unleashes cutting-edge AI technology in effort to slash Virginia's government red tape
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is embarking on a landmark project to use "agentic" artificial intelligence to hasten his 2022 pledge to cut one-quarter of Virginia's red-tape regulatory structure during his tenure. The term-limited Republican signed an executive order that introduced a pilot program using AI to scan the entirety of Richmond's regulations and official guidance. "We ask each agency to calculate the savings to them associated with any action that is taken. For more information about our methodology, I would point you to the Regulatory Economic Analysis Manual, which can be found online," Youngkin spokesperson Peter Finocchio told Fox News Digital. "AI is utilized in two key ways in this process: comparing existing regulations with what is actually required by statute, to identify any redundancies, and comparing Virginia's regulations to those in other states, to see if other states are accomplishing similar goals more efficiently and with less red tape." "AI is utilized in this way to make recommendations, but there is always a human in the loop making the final decisions, which is required by Executive Order 30," Finocchio added. Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence that differs from typical reactive bots like ChatGPT or Grok that provide information based on prompts, and instead can be programmed to pursue a goal, make autonomous decisions and take actions. Driverless cars like Waymo taxis are another real-world example of such technology. AI will "supercharge" the Youngkin administration's efforts, his office said in a statement, and help ensure that government is streamlined and modernized to better serve the people of the Old Dominion. "We have made tremendous strides towards streamlining regulations and the regulatory process in the Commonwealth. Using emergent artificial intelligence tools, we will push this effort further in order to continue our mission of unleashing Virginia's economy in a way that benefits all of its citizens," said Youngkin, who was a successful executive in the private sector before entering government. The AI tool will alert the state to any areas in which regulations are redundant, contradictory or overbroad. State agencies will then be able to use the AI platform in the future as well to continue breaking down the barriers to effective governance. "The 'Virginia model' for regulatory modernization has become the gold standard across the U.S., with other states and federal agencies looking to replicate our reforms," Virginia Regulatory Management Director Reeve Bull said. "With this newest initiative, Virginia will continue to lead the nation, becoming the first state to launch an agentic AI tool to power the regulatory reduction process," Bull added. Thus far, state government guidance documentation has been culled by nearly half, as roughly 48% of the total word counts have been deleted. That figure adds to the 26% of regulatory requirements statewide that have been either streamlined or eliminated, resulting in an estimated $1.2 billion annual taxpayer savings. The state indicated that there are still some agencies in Richmond that have not met Youngkin's 25% goal laid out in his original order.
Axios
2 days ago
- Axios
Brockton lawmaker wants to make South Shore bar pizza the state's official slice
A Brockton lawmaker wants to tell the world about the South Shore's homegrown pizza, but he'll start with the rest of the state. Why it matters: Massachusetts doesn't have a designated pizza style like New York, Chicago and Detroit, despite being the birthplace of some unique varieties. Bar pizza, the distinct thin-crust pan pizza from Brockton and surrounding areas, has exploded in popularity over the last decade. State of play: State Sen. Michael Brady (D-Brockton) wants to name South Shore bar pizza the official pizza variety of Massachusetts. The legislation he filed is the first attempt to establish a state pizza designation. Between the lines: If it passes, it'll be a win for the South Shore and for oily-carb lovers everywhere. If the bill fails, it'll be because parochial pizza pride led to a food fight at the State House. What makes it a bar pizza: There are variations on the form (looking at you, Town Spa), but most bar pies are single-serving, 10-inch thin-crust pan pizzas with cheese scattered all the way to the pan's lip so it creates a burned "lace" around the crust. There's limited crushed tomato sauce under a bed of cheddar, or a cheddar mixture. The crust is buttery in the middle and crisp on the edges. Most traditional toppings are available, but you're likely to see more chorizo and linguica and less pepperoni the closer you get to the South Coast. Dig in: Old-school bar-pie lovers will tell you the real secret is in the seasoned pans, which build flavor over time. Used pizza pans become a hot commodity if they ever come up for sale. What they're saying: "I think it'll help businesses, and especially the places that I represent," Brady told Axios. "Hopefully, by getting some publicity about this, it might bring more business to the Commonwealth and revenue to the Commonwealth." Legally speaking, Brady's bill defines bar pizza as 10-inch thin crust with edge-to-edge cheese coverage. The legislation faces no apparent organized opposition, and Brady reports some positive local media response and public reception across the state. The intrigue: The bill will have to capture the attention of Democratic leaders to be adopted. One hurdle could be Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the chairman of the all-powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Michlewitz hails from Boston's North End, a hot spot for traditional Italian and New York-style slices. Flashback: Bar pizza started popping up around Brockton-area taverns nearly 90 years ago and was popularized by the Cape Cod Café in 1939.
