Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to draw the attention of the parliament to a vital road project in my electorate which urgently requires funding assistance. The project is the upgrade of Riverside Drive in Nambucca Heads. This is a high-priority project for the Nambucca shire to address safety concerns about the security of the road. The safety concerns relate to the destabilisation of a section of road which is now the main entrance into Nambucca Heads and is a high-profile area for residents and visitors alike. The section of road between the tourist information centre and the northern entrance to Woodville Street has shown signs of instability for many years, and in 2009 council engaged a company to undertake a geotechnical assessment of the road itself. Most of the sections of the road were given a hazard rating of ‘possible failure’, with large sections rated as ‘likely to fail’ and one section rated as ‘almost certain to fail’. The road carries traffic in excess of 6,000 vehicles per day.

The upslope embankments are also unstable and lined with local residents’ homes. Sections slip on a regular basis in reasonably heavy rainfall events. Stabilising solutions are quite limited because of the presence of privately owned residences and involve rock nailing, gabion walls and shotcreting. Fixing this section of road is urgent because of motorists’ safety and the potential for damage to private property. But the Nambucca shire council does not have the financial resources to address this problem as a single works project. The council has a relatively small rate base but a large geographical area. The council’s only option will be to address small sections in order of risk over many, many years. Resuming private property is simply too expensive. This creates a lot of frustration for local residents and the business community.

The council has advised me that $5 million is required to fix this 250-metre section of road. Such assistance would enable council to restore both the road and the upslope. After discussions with Mayor Rhonda Hoban, I have taken the opportunity to write to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Having secured a commitment from the coalition during the recent federal election campaign, it would be very welcome if this roads project could receive bipartisan support. The last thing we want to see is a major accident as a result of government inaction. This road project is a worthy priority because it is a safety issue. Motorists, residents and visitors to Nambucca Heads will be at risk until Riverside Drive is fixed. I would therefore welcome the support of the members opposite and commend the project to the parliament.