Seal the Hahn Highway?

[DiscoMick]

Northern Australia: Renewed push to seal inland north Queensland highway - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-18/northern-australia-development-hann-highway-sealed-road/5674864)


I don't know this road, so what do you people think - would this be a good use of $70 million?

[JDNSW]

It is a matter of priorities - and I do not pretend to have these at my fingertips. While there is an ongoing need to seal a lot of rural roads right round Australia, it is going to take the judgement of Solomon to decide which ones to do first - I can think of a few round her that I would prefer to see sealed ......

ANd then the $70M has to be looked at against other non-road and non-transport options.

John

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Even with the priorities allowing it, as a minimum they have to get the get the indexation of fuel excise through the senate first and then probably more taxation elsewhere.

[V8Ian]

Northern Australia: Renewed push to seal inland north Queensland highway - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-18/northern-australia-development-hann-highway-sealed-road/5674864)


I don't know this road, so what do you people think - would this be a good use of $70 million?The half a dozen people who use it once a week would think so. It's a road from nowhere to nowhere, I can think of a dozen roads that could soak up seventy million, in Queensland alone, that would benefit far more people.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

The half a dozen people who use it once a week would think so. It's a road from nowhere to nowhere, I can think of a dozen roads that could soak up seventy million, in Queensland alone, that would benefit far more people.Rubbish!

Its one of three logical routes from the Southern States to Cairns and the most direct route from Dubbo/Bourke/Charlieville to Atherton.

Along with the Barcaldine-Hughenden roads it is the missing link in tourist roads on the north-south corridor.

[V8Ian]

Rubbish!

Its one of three logical routes from the Southern States to Cairns and the most direct route from Dubbo/Bourke/Charlieville to Atherton.

Along with the Barcaldine-Hughenden roads it is the missing link in tourist roads on the north-south corridor.
Good to see you have your priorities in order, Dianna. The handful of tourists who may or may not wander up the upgraded Hann/Kennedy Development Road still have better options.
North from the Oasis to Forty Mile Scrub is single lane bitumen and heavily trafficed by Type 2 road trains to Mt. Garnett. From Garnett to the southern tableland is narrow and steep and slippery in many parts. The three southern range crossings are steep with the Gillies being particularly treacherous.
By far the better option is via Charters Towers and Townsville.

[DiscoMick]

Leaving aside the limited current usage, could sealing the road open up the area to a lot more visitors, generating more jobs? Looking at the map I can't see it, but I could be missing something.


I'm thinking of a comparison with Cape York , which would obviously benefit if the development road was sealed.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Good to see you have your priorities in order, Dianna. The handful of tourists who may or may not wander up the upgraded Hann/Kennedy Development Road still have better options.
North from the Oasis to Forty Mile Scrub is single lane bitumen and heavily trafficed by Type 2 road trains to Mt. Garnett. From Garnett to the southern tableland is narrow and steep and slippery in many parts. The three southern range crossings are steep with the Gillies being particularly treacherous.
By far the better option is via Charters Towers and Townsville.Firstly I have traversed that route, granted 30 years ago, but I would warrant that it has not had much in the way of improvements since then.

Most of the other routes, want you to go through Townsville and not have the outback experience.

Isn't the reason that we have our vehicles is to see the country irrespective of how narrow, steep and slippery some sections may be?

[V8Ian]

Firstly I have traversed that route, granted 30 years ago, but I would warrant that it has not had much in the way of improvements since then.

Most of the other routes, want you to go through Townsville and not have the outback experience.

Isn't the reason that we have our vehicles is to see the country irrespective of how narrow, steep and slippery some sections may be?
Provided it's bitumen? Toorak tractor syndrome? Any one who has driven to Hughenden, from wherever, is not short of the outback experience.

If you're spending colossal amounts of money on a road network, common sense would dictate that you don't create a new, modern highway that is surrounded by sub-standard roads.

There are plenty of unsealed road carrying greater volumes of traffic, that have no alternate route. There are a number of sealed, major highways, including the Bruce that need floodproofing. These issues need addressing long before the folly of the Hann is bitumened.

[V8Ian]

Leaving aside the limited current usage, could sealing the road open up the area to a lot more visitors, generating more jobs? Looking at the map I can't see it, but I could be missing something.


I'm thinking of a comparison with Cape York , which would obviously benefit if the development road was sealed.
There is nothing between Hughenden and The Lynd Junction except a few cattle stations and a small National Park, Mick.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

...
There are plenty of unsealed road carrying greater volumes of traffic, that have no alternate route. There are a number of sealed, major highways, including the Bruce that need floodproofing. These issues need addressing long before the folly of the Hann is bitumened.Granted, yes there are and should be priorities.

However it is not a road between two nowheres.

...a road from nowhere to nowhere,...

[Hoges]

There is nothing between Hughenden and The Lynd Junction except a few cattle stations and a small National Park, Mick.
I'm not a cynic...:angel: no, not I:twisted: just wondering "who" is pusing for the upgrade and might they just happen to live on property adjacent to said road.

I'd wondered as to why the Cape York PRD was only sealed in sections.... a glimpse of the bleeding obvious hit me in a dream... it's largely the unsealed sections which are under water for half the year during the wet season. To "seal" it will mean elevating the present unsealed sections, in some cases by up to several metres for dozens of km. Apart from the two lanes, the shoulders also need to be expanded and elevated to allow safe stopping. Then add underpasses for wild life, safety rails... it will be a mammoth task. Then there's all the environmental t's & c's, sacred sites, marsupial meeting places, secret political business.. and once it's sealed, gone will be the opportunity for people to live the vicarious life of a frontier explorer .... just another bitumen track. Advertising signs, fast food joints...aaahhh!

[weeds]

I'm not a cynic...:angel: no, not I:twisted: just wondering "who" is pusing for the upgrade and might they just happen to live on property adjacent to said road.
!

Or the big miners.......

[V8Ian]

It's a road from nowhere to nowhere,
A slight exaggeration maybe; from a dying town with a population under 1200 to a BP servo in the middle of nowhere.

Hughenden has a visitor information centre, library, showground, shire hall, racecourse and dinosaur statue.

The northern end is merely a junction, with only a signpost, where the dirt meets the 3 metre ribbon of bitumen known as the Lynd. The BP is 5 kay south of the junction.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

I'm not a cynic...:angel: no, ...
<snip>
.... just another bitumen track. Advertising signs, fast food joints...aaahhh!What in the 32 years since my last trip along that road, it hasn't been populated with a Golden Arches with McCafe every 20 km?

If that's the case I'm not going, they can leave it dirt for all I care! :angel:

[AndyG]

If there is a spare 70 kicking around, I think more bang for the buck on Bruce Hwy black spots.

Oh imagine if the school hall and pink batt money had been spent on black spots, and level railway crossings, Thanks Kev, you've done it again mr Magoo

[bob10]

Nothing to do with tourists, all to do with transporting cattle to the expanding market in Asia, Bob


https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/24739147/northern-australia-renewed-push-to-seal-inland-north-queensland-highway/

[V8Ian]

I'm not a cynic...:angel: no, not I:twisted: just wondering "who" is pusing for the upgrade and might they just happen to live on property adjacent to said road.

Hann Highway Action Group chairman Russell Lethbridge said there was 110 kilometres to be sealed at a cost of approximately $70 million.
"That also includes the 30 kilometres south of Torrens Creek which links the Hann Highway to the south," Mr Lethbridge said.
The Lethbridge family has owned Werrington Station, bordering Blackbraes National Park, for almost 120 years and the 20,000 hectare property runs about 3,000 head of cattle.

[Chops]

I travelled this route about 20 or so years ago. Cant say I recall passing any other vehicles at all :confused: .

Have to say I experienced one of the very best feelings I think I've ever had on a trip. :D
That was to stand on the bonnet of the car and look out at absolutely nothing. Just miles and miles of flat land. Incredible.
Then there was Porcupine Gorge, the Undara Lava Tubes, not to mention the dirt road driving. :cool:

For me, its a good tourist route, plenty to see, and very much an "outback" experience.

I'm sure the locals and the transport guys are feeling the pain of an extra 800klms to Melbourne.
I would have thought though, that running truck fulls of cattle down to Melb would be defeating the purpose of making money anyway. Swap profits for transport costs :confused: Surely one would think these cattle would/could either be slaughtered in QLD somewhere, or loaded on a boat up there somewhere to go OS.

We towed a tinnie up there, broke both barn door windows, the 1st about 50klms into the dirt just out of Longreach, and the other about 10 klms from the end of the dirt :eek:. Broke a trailer gaurd and damaged both bearings.

As a tourist, I would'nt have had it any other way, and would love to do it all again, and not on bitumen.

As a land owner/worker in that area, I cant say how I'd feel. But I've watched roads/areas improve around me, and all I see is more people driving faster, more congestion, impatience and accidents.

I'm sure there would be better stuff to spend the money on which would benifit far more people overall, than this particular road.

Just my 2cents.