Kuranda Range Road
Road Connectivity
An integrated and efficient road transport network is critical for economic stability and growth in Far North Queensland, a region of 380,000km² which includes some of the nation’s most remote communities. The region’s inland roads and Cairns’ access to the northern beaches and Tablelands play a vital role in enabling the productivity of northern Australia and the contribution to the national economy through improved connectivity to southern markets. The disruption and dislocation to these road networks in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper have underpinned the importance of these links to the region and indeed, to the nation. Growth in population, employment, tourism and freight volumes coupled with the increasing importance of food security, means safety and capacity requirements will only be exacerbated. Investment in FNQ’s road connectivity is crucial to avoid nationally significant productivity losses, to connect rural and remote communities and to ensure continued regional and state economic development.
The road networks linking Cairns with the vital agricultural, mining and tourism regions of the Atherton Tablelands and beyond are critical enablers of the regional economy. With sizeable growth in both agriculture and mining in the region predicted in the next decade, a safe and reliable road network that enables increased heavy vehicle traffic is vital for economic growth and prosperity in the region. The road network in and out of Cairns acts as the main distribution hub for the region and is essential for further developing the agricultural and mining exports of the region. However, the growing demands for freight and increasing frequency of severe weather events, has strained the existing infrastructure, impacting transport costs and service levels across the supply chain.
The Kuranda Range Road (Kennedy Highway, Cairns-Mareeba section) links Smithfield with Kuranda and is the main coastal gateway to the Tablelands, Cape York Peninsula, and the Gulf Savannah. It is a critical link for commuter, commercial, and visitor traffic in FNQ and a vital strategic corridor underpinning the commercial viability of primary industry producers and exporters in the region in providing access to markets through the Cairns air and seaports, and road links to southern markets[i]. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in traffic demand due to growth in tourism, freight movement, and residential development on the Tablelands. Identifying an alternative to the current Kuranda Range Road would not only address FNQROC’s reports that the road is operating beyond capacity with safety and traffic efficiency now at critical levels but would ensure the region capitalises on the full economic potential of the Regional Trade Distribution Centre, funded by the Queensland Government.
A joint commitment of $262.5m towards safety and resilience upgrades on the Kuranda Range Road has been made by the Australian and Queensland Governments (80:20). However, a permanent solution to this long-standing issue must be found. It is recommended the Australian Government work with the Queensland Government to ensure that $22m of the $262.5m commitment is used to conduct a preliminary evaluation and detailed business case into preferred alternative routes to the Kuranda Range Road.
There have been 21 years of studies on the Kuranda Range Road with most recommendations not implemented. As a result, safety, capacity, and efficiency issues are now at a critical point with the recent extreme rainfall in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper highlighting this once again. Failure to address this issue has also resulted in constraints on economic development in the region, as evidenced by the abandoned $640m KUR-World tourism development project. Continued growth in tourism, agriculture, mining, and population on the Tablelands and beyond means it is imperative that a solution is developed for Cairns to Tablelands access prior to a major crisis.
Funding:
A joint commitment of $262.5m towards safety and resilience upgrades on the Kuranda Range Road has been made by the Australian and Queensland Governments (80:20).
[i] FNQROC, Kuranda Range Road, August 2019, https://www.fnqroc.qld.gov.au/files/media/original/004/98d/138/272/FNQROC-Kuranda-Range-Road-August-2019-_DIGITAL.PDF
Benefits to the region
• Enhance regional connectivity.
• Increased economic and social outcomes, opening up potential new dormitory suburbs for a growing and linear city.
• Unlock critical supply chains, improving the region’s freight network.
• Improve safety and security.
• Improve national and regional connectivity.
Recommendation
The Australian Government works with the Queensland Government to commit $22m of the $262.5m investment for safety and resilience upgrades to the Kuranda Range Road and allocates this towards a preliminary evaluation and detailed business case for an alternative route to the Kuranda Range Road.
Last updated: July 2025
Advocacy
