Ken Ticehurst (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to rise to support my coalition colleagues in such an important motion on the Pacific Highway. The Pacific Highway runs through my electorate of Dobell from Wyoming in the south to Bluehaven in the north. It is a very important arterial feeder for the many commuters who live in my electorate and work in Sydney. The state government has been well aware of the importance of this road for many years, yet the only significant improvement in this important area was a dual carriageway in the Wyoming area funded by the Howard government’s Roads to Recovery program—the program specifically created to address the state’s long-term negligence of our roads.

Despite the member for Hunter raising the issue of the F3, last August the state government promised to increase the speed limit in the area of the Hawkesbury River from 90 kilometres to 100 kilometres per hour. I wrote to the minister at the time and he said, ‘Well, we were going to do that, but we need some electricity there to power some signs.’ The real truth is that they have not got the speed camera working and until it is working it appears they will not change the speed limit.

The only mentionable contribution to this road by the New South Wales government has been the costly installation of concrete medium strips, which has been detrimental to the passing trade of many local small businesses in that area. Many have contacted my office to express their dismay. Notwithstanding that the Pacific Highway is a state road, built, owned and managed by the state government, the Australian government has made a substantial commitment to upgrading it under the Pacific Highway Reconstruction Program Agreement and AusLink.

The Australian government entered a 10-year agreement with New South Wales in 1996 to fund the Pacific Highway upgrading program. Under the program, the Australian government has contributed $60 million per annum—indexed—while the New South Wales government matched this funding and provided a further $100 million per annum—not indexed—for upgrading and maintenance of the highway. As the member for Gorton mentioned, the New South Wales government has indeed contributed $1.6 billion and the Australian government $656 million. But this is their road to maintain and upgrade.

This followed previous Australian government funding for such projects as the Tweed Heads and Raymond Terrace bypasses. At that time, nine per cent or 64.6 kilometres of the 658 kilometre length of the highway had been duplicated. We will have duplicated 44 per cent once we finish the projects that are under construction at the moment. The Australian government is making significant progress. We will have delivered an estimated travel time saving of 80 minutes on this trip.

The Australian government is committed to better and safer roads. Unfortunately, in my electorate, the Central Coast’s roads are not keeping pace with the region’s needs. The Central Coast has lagged behind in the future planning for roads and faces a huge influx in population over the next few years. Provision has to be made. This is not a testament to the Australian government, but it has contributed over and above what it should on our local roads programs like Roads to Recovery and the Black Spot program. The Black Spot program, which was scrapped under Labor, has invested $3.9 million to fix 22 Dobell black spots. This includes $230,000 for traffic lights at the corner of The Entrance Road and Tuggerah Parade, Long Jetty; $150,000 for signs and an island at the intersection of Maidens Brush Road and Jarrett Street, Wyoming; and $200,000 for traffic lights at the corner of Bay Village Road and Eastern Road, Bateau Bay. This is just to name a few.

Our local community will also benefit from $2.5 million in funding towards the construction of a two-lane link off the Pacific Highway from Britannia Drive at Watanobbi to Sparks Road at Warnervale and around $80 million to widen the F3 Freeway between Calga and the Hawkesbury River. The Howard government has committed a further $50 million to commence widening the freeway to six lanes between Mount Colah and Cowan. Central Coast roads also benefit from around $14 million allocated to Gosford and Wyong councils every year under Roads to Recovery.

The Pacific Highway is probably one of the most high-profile roads in Australia, and far too many people have died on this road. With Central Coast traffic expected to increase by around 63,000 vehicles a day by 2026, according to an NRMA audit, the urgent upgrading of this road is paramount. The NRMA audit of Central Coast roads found major congestion points around Ourimbah Primary School, the Wyong Road-SH 10 roundabout and the Church Street intersection at Wyong. The NRMA recommended Ourimbah road upgrades to reduce the crossing distance and time required for the pedestrian cycle and allow more time for through vehicles. (Time expired)

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