Progress report shows it is only half complete – after 20 years. By Daniel Stanton
NRMA has released a damning progress report on the Pacific Highway upgrade – almost 20 years since the former NSW Coroner Kevin Waller recommended the highway be upgraded to dual carriageway.
NRMA President Wendy Machin said the report found the Australian and NSW Governments’ target of duplicating the entire length of the Pacific Highway by 2016 was unlikely to be fulfilled.
“This is gloomy news for the people whose lives have been affected by almost 1000 deaths in the past 20 years on Australia’s busiest road,” Ms Machin said. “The Australian Government should be congratulated for injecting much-needed funds over the past five years, but unless there is a further injection of funds, people using this road will have to continue to put up with a substandard highway.”
Currently, only 50 per cent of the 821km route has been upgraded, despite $3.5 billion in State and Commonwealth investment since 1989. Out of the projects for which there is data, the report found almost seven out of 10 Pacific Highway upgrade projects finished late.
Ms Machin said this means the Australian and NSW Governments will need to ensure no time is wasted between now and 2016 if the Pacific Highway is to become dual carriageway. “Governments need to recognise the necessity of duplication as increasing numbers of passenger and freight vehicles are now using the Pacific Highway as its condition improves – particularly where the highway serves town centres,” Ms Machin said. “Despite the improvements and better knowledge of accident treatment, crashes have been increasing due to the growth in traffic, especially since 2005.”
Ms Machin said completing the upgrade would provide massive safety benefits to motorists.
“This also means if the upgrade is not completed by 2016, the cost in human suffering, lost productivity and property damage will be very significant.
“NRMA would like to see accelerated funding for the remainder of the Pacific Highway upgrade to deliver a national road that carries the confidence of Pacific Highway communities.
“It is devastating for the families of the 56 people killed in the 1989 bus crashes at Clybucca Flat and Cowper that those sections of the Pacific Highway have not been upgraded. The Australian and NSW Governments need to provide closure for Pacific Highway communities and deliver upon their 2016 promise.” Since the report was made public, the Australian and NSW Governments have stated the 2016 deadline will be met.
The sooner Coroner Kevin Waller’s recommendations are implemented the more money and lives will be saved.
Progress of the upgrade to dateOf the 821km of road project lengths identified between Hexham (near Newcastle) and the Queensland border:
Of the 93 projects:
Promised completion dates versus actual completion dates for projects: Of the completed projects, it was only possible to compare the original promised completion date with the actual completion date for 25 of these projects. Eight projects were completed early and 17 were completed late. The 2016 completion deadline: On October 20, 2009, the Secretary of the Federal Department of Infrastructure Mike Mrdak confirmed in a Senate Budget Estimates hearing that the government target for the Pacific Highway upgrade was still completion by 2016. Currently 50 per cent of the route remains to be upgraded. At the present rate of expenditure, government forecasts estimate route duplication could be between 80 and 85 per cent complete by 2014. The 2016 completion target is unlikely to be achieved without an injection of funding. |
Open Road January/February 2010
