Andrew Gee (Calare, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass has now been closed for two months. Our businesses are desperate. They're going broke because of the negligence of successive governments. It's a debacle, and the response by state and federal governments has not been good enough. You announced plans for a tunnel under Victoria Pass in 2010. Will you now put some serious money down for a business support package and also high-speed road access to the Central West?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Calare. I know that his community is highly concerned about this, and I respect that that's the spirit in which he's raised it. As you're aware, the Great Western Highway does remain closed at Mitchell's Causeway, following what has been a major geotechnical failure. I remain in contact with Minister Aitchison's office—the New South Wales roads minister—and I continue to seek the latest updates about the situation. I continue to be advised by the NSW government that the road is simply not safe and cannot reopen until it is. There can't be any shortcuts on that.

The New South Wales roads minister has made it clear there is currently no firm timetable for reopening, with the closure expected to extend beyond the three-month estimate that was originally given. It does reflect the seriousness and the complexity of the failure and the need to get the solution right. Significant cracking and movement have been detected in the substructure of the Mitchell's Causeway, and detailed geotechnical investigations have confirmed that the underlying fill has deteriorated, creating voids and instability within that structure. Transport for NSW has completed extensive testing and is now moving into the next phase, working with industry to identify and finalise an engineering solution to safely reopen the road.

A competitive process is underway with multiple engineering proposals shortlisted and a final solution expected to be selected shortly. I don't underestimate. This is a very serious situation, and it is not a quick or simple fix. The work required will involve substantial reconstruction to modern standards. There are a number of actions the New South Wales government has already taken in response to the closure, as you're aware: establishing the Great Western Highway Community Coordination Taskforce; delivering extra public transport services to support connectivity; boosting maintenance and resilience works on key detour routes including Bells Line of Road, Darling Causeway and Chifley Road; and committing $50 million to strengthen and upgrade all of the detour routes as well. Transport for NSW continues to engage.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll hear from the member for Calare on a point of order.

Andrew Gee (Calare, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd be grateful if the answer could address the questions which were raised. It's on relevance.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The issue is relevance. The minister was asked some specific questions as part of the broad issue. So I'm listening carefully to make sure she's updating the House on actions taken by both governments. But I'll listen carefully.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth will continue to engage with New South Wales, and we have made it very clear that we stand ready, if New South Wales does have a request for funding to assist, to consider that very seriously.

But let's be really clear about this. When we came to office, there was $2 billion allocated for works along the Great Western Highway for either end, with some idea—no funding, no planning—that there would be an 11-kilometre tunnel dug underneath the Blue Mountains. Now, nobody—nobody—was serious about that. So there was no solution. There was a false promise—again, given pretty often by those opposite. We'll do the work to try and get this road open as soon as possible, and I'll update you when we've got news about that. (Time expired)