Dametto Blasts Successive Government Inaction on Gairloch and Seymour Project

Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto at Gairloch on the Bruce Highway.

22 March 2025

Seasonal rain has seen the Bruce Highway cut once again north of Ingham at the Seymour and Gairloch crossings, leaving North Queenslanders stranded, businesses crippled, and supply chains in chaos.

Hinchinbrook MP and Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Deputy Leader Nick Dametto has slammed the continued delays to the Gairloch Project (which encompasses the notorious Seymour crossing) as yet another example of North Queensland being left behind while successive State and Federal Governments drag their feet.

“The Bruce Highway has been closed at Seymour for 16 days so far already this year, and it’s not even the end of March! This is an absolute failure that would never be tolerated in the South-East,” Mr Dametto said.

“The State Government needs to do everything possible to have the Gairloch and Seymour project fast-tracked immediately to the construction phase.

“Every time the Bruce Highway is cut, it stops supplies from getting in and produce from getting out. The inland highway has proven to not be a viable alternative with freight companies, businesses, and consumers all suffering from the increased cost of trying to re-route freight.

“The only way to stop this recurring nightmare is to build proper flood-resilient infrastructure that actually keeps the highway open. The project has been in the Transport and Main Roads pipeline for over a decade and has funding of $48 million committed. Yet, it’s still stuck in the detailed design phase, with no construction start date.

“Governments and bureaucrats are notorious for spending endless amounts of time and money reacting to flood closures and planning future projects, yet very little on actual construction. North Queenslanders are tired of hearing about studies, reports, and reviews. We need to see concrete and steel coming out of the ground.

“It is not only trucks and freight that are impacted by highway closures but also the tourism industry. This is the time of year when tourists should be flocking to North Queensland, all the way from Townsville through to Port Douglas. Instead, they are diverting their travels elsewhere.

“Nine billion dollars has been committed to the Bruce Highway by the State and Federal Governments, which sounds great until you learn that none of it has been earmarked for flood immunity projects.

“I’ve written an open letter to every MP from Hinchinbrook to the tip of Cape York, seeking bipartisan support to:

1. Fast-track the Gairloch and Seymour Project immediately.
2. Secure a fair share of the State and Federal Governments’ $9 billion Bruce Highway package for flood immunity projects, not just safety projects that do nothing to keep the highway open when we need it most.

“We need to bring this shameful neglect of the North to an end before we get left stranded once again.”

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