The Palaszczuk Government has advised it plans to deliver upgrades to the rail level crossings at Liverpool and Brasenose Streets in Cardwell in 2018 – three years after they were first promised.

Hinchinbrook MP, Andrew Cripps, who has been lobbying for the upgrades on behalf of the Cardwell community for several years, said Labor had misled and let down local residents twice.

Mr Cripps said despite originally being told by Transport Minister Jackie Trad that the rail crossing upgrades would happen in the 2015-2016 financial year, two years later, nothing had happened.

“Since then we have had a revolving door of Labor Transport Ministers and a series of hollow promises on the rail level crossing upgrades on Liverpool and Brasenose Streets” said Mr Cripps.

“When Stirling Hinchliffe became Transport Minister, he responded to my representations to say a contract had been awarded and the upgrades would be completed by the middle of 2017” he said”.

“When that date came and went without anything happening, I asked another question about why the upgrades had not been completed and by this time, Jackie Trad was Transport Minister again”.

“Now Minister Trad says the rail level crossings on Liverpool and Brasenose Streets in Cardwell will be upgraded by the middle of 2018 – three years after she first promised them back in 2015”.

Mr Cripps said the two rail level crossings in Cardwell had originally been identified for safety upgrades in 2014, but the Palaszczuk Government has failed to deliver the works, despite repeated promises.

“For three years I have been pursuing this issue on behalf of the residents of Cardwell, several of whom originally contacted me to express safety concerns about these two rail level crossings”.

“Despite previously advising the upgrades would occur in mid-2016 and then mid-2017, Minister Trad now insists* that the projects will be delivered as part of a works package by mid-2018”.

Mr Cripps said he would continue to monitor the progress of Labor’s commitment to upgrade the rail level crossings on Liverpool and Brasenose Streets in Cardwell, on behalf of local residents.

*http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2017/1425-2017.pdf