Warrell Creek to Urunga upgrade must be funding priority, Hartsuyker tells Federal Parliament

February 15, 2012

Federal MP Luke Hartsuyker has told Federal Parliament that accident blackspots must be the priority of all upgrades to the Pacific Highway and therefore the Warrell Creek to Urunga section must be the next project to be fully funded.

During a speech in the federal parliament this week (Tuesday) Mr Hartsuyker said his worst fears had been realised when two people died at Urunga on January 8.  “I said publicly on Christmas Eve that this stretch of road was a disaster waiting to happen.  Tragically, that is exactly what occurred. One of those killed was an 11-year-old boy.  He died when a semitrailer ploughed into the house where he was sleeping.

“Whilst it has been revealed that human error and alcohol consumption proved a large part of the tragedy, the reality is that if the highway did not go through Urunga the accident would never have occurred.  A survey by the NRMA last year identified the highway between Warrell Creek and Urunga as the worst in the state.”

Mr Hartsuyker said while he welcomed the fast-tracking of the Frederickton to Eungai section of the highway, he was astounded to read media reports last year that the Australian and New South Wales governments were commencing negotiations for the South Kempsey to Port Macquarie upgrade.

“In my view, road safety must be the most important consideration when prioritising which projects receive funding, and there is no doubt that Warrell Creek to Urunga is the biggest blackspot on the Pacific Highway.  There are three key reasons for this.  Firstly, 27 people have now lost their lives on this section of road over the past five years. Secondly, the Macksville Bridge is too narrow and trucks pass only centimetres apart. Its current condition prevents large loads from being transported on the most direct route up and down the coast. When this bridge is closed due to an accident or maintenance, traffic has to be diverted causing lengthy delays. It is also a bottleneck for traffic, particularly during the busy tourism season.

“Thirdly, bus loads of school children travel to school on this section of road regularly. I understand that many parents are concerned about the condition of the road. While all sections of the highway are important, the experience with the Bonville deviation shows us that, when a black spot is eliminated, the accidents stop.  Since the accident, expressions of interest have been called for the Nambucca to Urunga section, but that overlooks the black spots further south at Macksville and Warrell Creek.

“This government is now spending $50 billion on an NBN project that people do not want or need.  Those funds would be better spent on upgrading the Pacific Highway to dual carriageway standard,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

< Prev		Next >