Resudents suffer due to Cunningham’s Gap closure

Stanthorpe resident  Malcolm Dennis is just one of many local people who have suffered due to the closure and partial closure of Cunningham’s Gap.
The 59-year-old has regularly travelled to Brisbane for the past two years for medical appointments in relation to his throat cancer. He also has anxiety and panic attacks.
“I’m very angry. Anxiety and panic attacks hit you hard. I was up four nights to 4am, just thinking I’ve got to go to Brisbane,” Mr Dennis said.
He said the regular closure of Cunningham’s Gap adds unnecessary pressure on him; not just increasing his anxiety levels, but adding financial burden if he was forced to travel the extra 200 plus kilometres to go though Toowoomba to get to Brisbane.
Mr Dennis said medical services were centralised into Brisbane yet it was very difficult to travel to the capital city due to the condition of Cunningham’s Gap.
Meanwhile, Federal Member for Maranoa Bruce Scott has raised the Gap issue in Parliament.
“Cunningham’s Gap is continually out of action due to fallen rocks and slippage. I believe we have to fund an alternative route,” Mr Scott said.
“I suggested we should look at Spicers Gap as an alternative route. I believe we need a relief valve to Cunningham’s Gap,” he said.
“We need to do the investigation to see whether Spicers Gap could be a viable option. If not, we need to look at more lanes at Cunningham’s Gap to give us that safety valve.
“What we’ve got now is just not good enough and it will hold us back in the Southern Downs region.”
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