Mr PETER DRAPER (Tamworth) [2.02 p.m.]: While I understand Sydney must implement measures to deal with the daily traffic and transport gridlock that city residents experience, it seems that most recent traffic initiatives have made it more difficult for country residents, who only make an occasional trip to the big smoke. Interstate and overseas visitors also face these problems. E-tags for tollways, poor signposting that sees country motorists unwillingly funnelled into tunnels and tollways, and now pre-pay only buses, make planning a city trip a logistical nightmare. Yet for very little expense, the Government could make such a trip much more easy for country residents and other visitors.

It has been pointed out that the current toll payment system, which requires a credit card, is expensive, inconvenient, time consuming and inequitable for infrequent country users, who often find the Sydney roads system a navigational nightmare, and are unwittingly drawn onto a tollway without knowledge of the fees or payment systems. I have spoken about e-tags on previous occasions in the House, and detailed the need to make them readily available for country residents, who may have to make a short notice emergency trip, live long distances from motor registries, are unable to go online, or do not have a credit card.

Since last September when cashless tollways were announced, the country Independents from Dubbo, Northern Tablelands, Port Macquarie and I have been calling for e-tags to be more accessible for country motorists. We have recommended a system similar to the Victorian CityLink system where e-tags are available at service stations, post offices and newsagents, and they are linked to an interstate roaming system to enable their use anywhere in Australia. Recently, I received correspondence from Queensland Motorways as some of its motorways are transitioning to free-flow tolling in July. In that letter the company states:

Queensland Motorways has developed a range of new tolling payment options which meet the needs of all motorists—from drivers who may use Queensland Motorways toll roads once a year, to those who use the network daily. These products will be widely available and motorists will have a choice of paying by direct debit, credit card or cash.

Consumers will be able to arrange an account card by phone, and they will be able to operate it through many retailers including petrol stations, newsagents and convenience stores. Sadly, country residents in New South Wales will now lag behind the user-friendly systems that are available in both Victoria and Queensland. Surely we can do better! Even if the use of toll roads is simplified for country motorists, once travelling on the network in Sydney, they face the nightmare of having to navigate through many lanes of traffic where motorists are often doing well over the posted speed limit while trying to follow what most people consider inadequate signage.

Travelling out of Sydney to the north, many people have told me how they have been swept into the Lane Cove Tunnel when going over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and then trying to get onto the Pacific Highway at Artarmon. Surely the signage could be improved for occasional users, or at least clearly indicate the last available exit before people are caught in that tunnel. I have seen many media reports stating that motorists regularly using the Sydney network think the sign posting is inadequate, so what chance is there for country visitors? This problem is not confined to roads heading north. A letter to the editor in last Saturday's Daily Telegraph summed the situation up quite well. It stated:

My partner and I just wanted a short getaway to Sydney. Travelling along Sydney roads is confusing, the signage is poor, infrequent and often too late. The toll system is worse. Not everyone lives in Sydney and going there for only a night we did not want to buy an e-tag, but half the tolls don't accept cash. Not only that but when calling the phone number to pay the tolls, you get slapped with extra fees and have to talk to an automated phone service that doesn't have the option of 'pay a toll'. When you eventually speak to a person you get more fees; you are directed to two other phone numbers and a website and you still haven't paid the toll. If Sydney wants more money in its economy, maybe it should make it easier for interstate visitors to get around.

Visitors from the Australian Capital Territory wrote that letter and it should be heeded, as it also speaks for many country residents. It points out failures in this State's approach to business: Welcome to Sydney and have a nice day! As for pre-pay buses, I congratulate Sydney Buses on producing a website that does easily show locations of ticket agencies. However, many people arriving from the country will not be able to easily access that online information. Therefore, it is critical that all Sydney gateways have clear signage, such as at the airport and railway stations, clearly detailing how to get to the nearest outlet. This would not cost a fortune, and nor would improving access to e-tags or providing better, clearer signage on main roads. It would certainly make visiting Sydney a much easier process for country, interstate and overseas travellers. The New South Wales Government, the Roads and Traffic Authority and the city of Sydney should take urgent action on these matters to ensure our State capital is inviting, easily accessible and does not charge an arm and a leg for country residents and other visitors, who should be welcomed with open arms.