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- 8 May 2007
Pacific Highway Upgrade
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The Hon. CATHERINE CUSACK [3.29 p.m.]: I have received representations from Councillor Ernie Bennett on behalf of the Pacific Highway Task Force representing the 18 councils that cover the area between Hexham and the Queensland border. The aim of the task force is to achieve funding to complete all upgrades for the highway by 2016. The task force has written to both the Federal Government and the New South Wales Treasurer asking for increased funding flows in this year's budget. A key reason is that the Pacific Highway death rate continues to exceed 40 per year, or more than 400 deaths in the past decade. In 2004 the NRMA estimated that the cost to the community of accidents on the Pacific Highway was more than $190 million per annum. It is extraordinary that 44 per cent of the busiest freight route in eastern Australia, which services local traffic and a vast number of tourists, is still a single-lane highway. Yet we know that 90 per cent of fatalities are avoided by upgrades to dual carriageway.
The patchwork approach to upgrading the Pacific Highway has targeted and eliminated notorious black spots. Paradoxically, each improvement has resulted in a surge in traffic and freight volumes and the creation of new black spots. For example, when the Ewingbar and Burringbar black spots were eliminated, all forms of traffic increased, especially trucks and B-doubles, new black spots emerged at Tintenbar Hill and Mt St Helena, and the Ross Lane turnoff became more dangerous because of the increased traffic volume and types of trucks using the highway. I have raised these problems many times in the House. I acknowledge that over the past year safety improvements have been made to these three dangerous places.
The issue I wish to raise today is the urgent need for North Coast businesses, local communities and State government agencies to work together in planning for the changes that will flow from the completion of three important projects: the Tugan bypass in the Tweed shire, the Brunswick bypass in Byron shire and the Ballina bypass in Ballina shire. These three projects could reduce travel times to the Queensland border by 20 minutes and to Brisbane by more than 35 minutes. The day is approaching when West Ballina residents will find themselves 45 minutes from Tweed and one hour and 40 minutes from the centre of Brisbane. This will bring a profound change to our whole region.
If all things stay the same Ballina residents will be closer to Gold Coast airport than to Lismore airport and the travel patterns of health patients will change. Patterns of travel from Queensland will also change. We can expect to see a lot more green number plates. The implications for employment, education, consumption patterns, training, tourism, health and real estate will be profound. The regions for children's sports may change, with more competitions including the Tweed. Wardell will come under the magic two-hour mark from Brisbane, with consequences for tourism and real estate.
To put it another way, imagine relocating Lismore and Casino 20 kilometres west. Such an exercise would equate to the new travel time relativities that will occur when the bypass projects are completed. We need to think very carefully about our future and have a positive plan to capitalise on opportunities, and address the challenges posed by this transformation in access and travel times. Of greatest importance are the linkages to our regional capital, Lismore. We need to ensure that Lismore continues to anchor our region and does not suffer as a result of the upgrades. The most obvious way to do so is to upgrade the Bangalow Road and Buxner Highway sections that link Lismore to the Pacific Highway. For example, the Alstonville bypass has always been a high priority for the local Alstonville and Wollingbar communities, but it will be absolutely critical to the economic wellbeing of Lismore after the Ballina bypass is completed.
Tomorrow's brave new world of an upgraded Pacific Highway needs to be planned today. We need to think regionally. Given the rich and diverse characters of individual communities, that has never been easy to do. However, it will be of vital importance. Based on my experience many years ago of the Yass bypass, which was embraced and planned in a positive and proactive way by the community, enormous benefits can be reaped if people think ahead. The Roads and Traffic Authority [RTA] allocated considerable funds to Yass to plan for the future after the bypass, including capital funding for beautifying the main street and planning a major restructure of the local economy. A very detailed plan resulted, including targeting Yass's proximity to Canberra as a major economic strength and rezoning properties for hobby farms. Instead of slumping after the bypass opened, the Yass economy boomed—but only because they planned ahead and were prepared.
The issues facing the North Coast are very different, but the scale and importance of the task are of equal importance. We must move into a new phase of planning so that we can drive opportunities for the future and not lag behind as victims of unplanned change. The Roads and Traffic Authority, the Premiers Regional Co-ordinating Committee, the Pacific Highway Task Force and the Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils [NOROC] need to create a framework to ensure the community is able to reduce the risk and maximise the benefits of the new bypass projects.
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