DEATHS ON PRINCES HIGHWAY BETWEEN WATERFALL AND BULLI
Mr McMANUS (Bulli) [5.27]: I rise tonight to convey my condolences to the families of yet another three young Australians who lost their lives on 4th November on the notorious Princes Highway between Waterfall and Bulli Tops. I would ask once again that the Government and the Deputy Premier, Minister for Public Works and Minister for Roads, in particular, look seriously at the possibility of removing the toll on the F6 freeway so that those who cannot afford the toll, particularly young students, can bypass that notorious stretch of highway and use the tollway. The three young Australians who lost their lives on 4th November were students attending Wollongong University. This stretch of road, called alternative route 1 or Princes Highway to Bulli Tops and Waterfall, is locally known as "Wreath Alley" because of the deaths that have occurred over many years, and continue to occur even though the F6 freeway has been built.
It is my contention that if the Government can find $90 million to pay off a racetrack for amusement purposes in the western suburbs, surely it can find the $8 million that could save the lives of some of the young persons in our region. Some of the statistics I received today from the University of Wollongong reveal that from the southern suburbs of Sydney - that is, Hurstville and the Sutherland shire - there are 1,049 students travelling by car or motor cycle to the University of Wollongong. Information has also been given to me today that the majority of those students would be using alternative route 1 because, as students, they simply cannot afford to pay the $10 per week to use the F6 freeway. Another eight or nine students have indicated that they travel by train but once again the university believes that the majority of these would, at times, be casual users of the roadway simply because of the abysmal rail network from Waterfall to Wollongong and the long distance from the station to the university. I have in my possession a letter from one of my constituents and a friend of those victims, Fiona Veevers, who is a Wollongong university student. She said:
I am disappointed to hear Roads Minister Wal Murray's lack of understanding as to the
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impact that the increased toll rate has had on students. It seems obvious that Mr Murray instigated little research or concern for the safety of travelling students from Sydney to Wollongong. If he had, he would have noticed an increased number of students ventured the Old Princes Highway to avoid another excess expense needed to gain education and he would have realised the need to provide a concession for the F6 tollway.
Both she and I want the Government to recognise its responsibilities. We can no longer afford the carnage and the accidents on that section of road. Today I took the opportunity to ensure that I had the facts by ringing the Roads and Traffic Authority, the Minister's department. It provided me with all accident details for the past few years. In 1990 there was an horrendous accident. These accident statistics do not include statistics for the top of Thirroul or the intersections at Helensburgh. Basically, these statistics cover alternative route 1. In 1990 there were 28 accidents on this stretch of road. That is bad enough, but that figure almost doubled in 1991. I believe 42 accidents have occurred on that road. There will be an increase in accidents when we get inclement weather. The young lady who wrote to me pointed out that young and inexperienced drivers travel on this notorious stretch of road. This matter must be investigated and money spent to alleviate the problem. I cannot say strongly enough that this Government must take some action. I have raised this matter today because when I went public on it last week the Minister said I was politicising the issue. Dr Murray Nobbs, father of one of the children who was killed, has indicated that his son said, "If I have to work at Kentucky Fried Chicken to make my money I do not want to be spending it on the F6 tollway". I invite the Minister to look at the statistics and ask him to ensure that $8 million is found to alleviate the carnage on our roads.