New England Highway Federal Funding

Debate resumed from an earlier hour.

Mr CHAPPELL (Northern Tablelands) [7.30 p.m.]: As I said before the Budget was handed down, this cannot stack up as a responsible motion. The State Government negotiates the priorities for the allocation of Federal road funding. Moreover, when considering an actual reduction in funding allocation for the New England Highway during the last couple of years two major projects have to be kept in mind. The first, not so long back - a major project in anyone's language - was the final expenditure on completion of the crossing of the Liverpool Range. The second is that this year there has been a significant reduction in the amount of funding being allocated for the completion of the project at the Belford bends.

The allocation for the Belford bends deviation has been reduced from $17 million last year to an allocation of $11 million in the current financial year. That more than accounts for the reduction in the total allocation of funding for the New England Highway. In that part of the New England Highway north of Tamworth a number of significant projects are now coming into cycle, including the Rose Valley deviation. Work on that section of the highway includes the reduction of a significant black spot.

The honourable member for Cessnock referred to the Sunnyside turn-off deviation, which is beyond the Rose Valley deviation. Although it is not yet on the program, it is a significant project which is about to commence. Recently I reported on the need for that work to be commenced, following another fatality in that area. As the honourable member for Cessnock said, the Catholic priest from Tenterfield was killed when he was driving along that section during the early hours of the evening on a wet road. Although it does not appear to be a particularly dangerous section of road, a number of accidents have occurred there.

Funds have been allocated for the final planning works to proceed on a major redevelopment of Devil's Pinch, north of Armidale. That project will proceed in the next financial year. The New England Highway truck facilities to be built at Guyra is a project which all those in the New England area are very much looking forward to. That project has been championed by the Mayor of Guyra and National Party candidate for the Federal seat of New England, Stuart St Clair, who will force it through and I am sure that there will be major funding for it.

Twice in the last week traffic managers have caused me to pull up because of the Llangothlin pavement rehabilitation work, which is well under way. Planning for a Tenterfield bypass has commenced, although that will not happen for several years. Plenty of work needs to be done but the State Government needs to put more money into work on the Gwydir Highway, the Bruxner Highway, the Mount Lindsay main road and all of those other road projects around country New South Wales which are being totally ignored by the Government. This is a cover-up motion.

Mr GAUDRY (Newcastle) [7.33 p.m.]: I am pleased to support the motion moved by the honourable member for Cessnock, and note that the motion was suspended to allow members to hear the Treasurer's Budget Speech. As the Treasurer said, I have no doubt that it is a AAA budget for New South Wales in all areas of expenditure - health, education, community services, infrastructure for the State and, in particular, roads.

I have no doubt when one looks at the budget it confounds one's belief that the Opposition could say that the Government was not spending money on regional and rural New South Wales. I refer to the $1.24 billion provided for in the budget for expenditure on rural and regional roads. In particular I note provision for some $4.9 million on the golden highway, that link road from Dubbo which feeds into the New England Highway.

Mr Chappell: On a point of order. Since the urgency motion was moved this afternoon the State Budget has been handed down. Material is being brought into this debate that arises from the budget after this motion was introduced. Surely that is improper material to be used in the debate.

Mr ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Clough): Order! I uphold the point of order. The honourable member for Newcastle may not debate the Budget Speech that was delivered today. He may refer to road funding that was allocated prior to today.

Mr GAUDRY: I am happy to do that and I will reflect upon the importance of roads. The golden highway from Dubbo linking Newcastle with the New England Highway, which is one of the most significant roads in this State and certainly is a national highway. The New England Highway is suffering a 28 per cent reduction, in real terms, in maintenance spending. The Federal Government's three budgets have cut national highway funding to New South Wales by $88 million over three years. That is an extremely important statistic because it demonstrates that the Federal Government has been quite happy to take from road transport and road users in New South Wales a huge amount of money through road user charges.

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User charges exceed Federal Government expenditure on roads by more than $6.4 million, or more than 400 per cent. The Federal Government is collecting the dollars but is not spending the dollars to maintain the highways, to keep them safe for transport users who are so important to the economy of the State. Heavy road transport moves freight from the north and north-west, bringing coal or wheat to Newcastle and general cargo down the extremely important golden highway into the port of Newcastle and service Sydney.

It has been made clear by the contributions to this debate, not only from Government members but also from Opposition members, that absolute danger exists on those roads. The roads are inadequate for the heavy vehicles that use them. The mix of those heavy vehicles with domestic traffic can result in tragedy, such as the death of the Catholic priest from Tenterfield referred to by the honourable member for Northern Tablelands. Tragic accidents occur on that roadway not so much because of driver error but because of the conditions of the roads, the lack of passing lanes and a whole range of issues to do with maintenance and upgrades.

As was pointed out by the honourable member for Cessnock, the bleeding of funds from that highway because the Federal Government has transferred them to other areas and the general loss of road funding for New South Wales are having an extremely detrimental effect on the New England Highway. That is not good enough. New South Wales is putting in its share by funding projects for the great benefit of New South Wales and the economy. It is time for the Federal Government to contribute fully its share to New South Wales. [Time expired.].

Mr NEILLY (Cessnock) [7.38 p.m.], in reply: The words of honourable members who contributed to this debate revealed that no-one listened to my initial contribution. I repeat: I reject the proposed amendment. I said that the Federal Government's financial commitment to the New England Highway had been at the expense of the upgrading of the Pacific Highway. Of course, that was not stated by the Federal Government in its pre-election commentaries. The Federal Government's three budgets have cut national highway funding to New South Wales by $242 million, which represents 58 per cent of the total funding cuts to national highways across Australia since 1995-96. Consequently New South Wales is bearing the brunt of these cuts. That is a stark reality. No matter who has proposed the projects, I have stated the real dollar terms.

The Federal Government's promise on road funding before the last election, which stated "continuation of Federal road funding expenditure commitments at current levels", has not been honoured. The overall level of funding for national highway maintenance, including for the New England Highway, has decreased in real terms by 28 per cent since 1995-96 due to Federal funding cutbacks. The recent Federal budget has continued this inadequate level of funding. The Roads and Traffic Authority estimated that the overall Federal funding shortfall for national highway maintenance, apart from major projects, is $35 million per annum. Honourable members for the electorates of Lismore and Northern Tablelands said that this debate is not about the full length of the New England Highway. However, my initial comments referred to three sections of the highway in the Armidale and Tamworth areas.

The RTA budget submission to the Federal Government for 1998-99 for major capital projects sought $22.6 million, but received an allocation of $11.7 million - a shortfall of $10.9 million. That shortfall affected two projects along the New England Highway: first, the widening of the road between Wilburtree Street and Scott Road, Tamworth, for which $2 million was sought, but the allocation was nil; and second, the Rose Valley deviation, 35 to 39 kilometres north of Tamworth, for which $7 million was sought, but again the allocation was nil. In essence, the shortfall did not occur in Labor Party electorates but in National Party and Liberal Party electorates. I am battling for the coalition blighters.

Mr Chappell: Priorities are set by a State government department, the RTA.

Mr NEILLY: The RTA does not set national highway programs. It forwarded projects to the Federal Government, which bucked it.

Mr Chappell: I think it does. I have been told it does.

Mr NEILLY: The honourable member should discuss this with those who give him advice. Funding was given for the Belford bends because the former Federal Minister, Laurie Brereton, made a commitment to that project prior to the last Federal election, but on the eve of that election along came John Sharp. The Federal member for Hunter certainly kept him on his toes. The black spots program needs to be reviewed, because it has nothing to do with the federally funded safety program. The Liverpool Range was mentioned by the honourable member for Northern Tablelands. The project in that area was started by the former Federal Government and, giving due credit, was concluded by the current Government. I repeat my commitment to the motion and thank the honourable members for the electorates of Lismore, Waratah, Northern Tablelands and Newcastle for their contributions.

Page 5557

Question - That the words stand - put.

The House divided.

Ms Allan Mr Markham
Mr Amery Mr Martin
Mr Anderson Ms Meagher
Ms Andrews Mr Mills
Mr Aquilina Mr Moss
Mrs Beamer Mr Nagle
Mr Clough Mr Neilly
Mr Crittenden Ms Nori
Mr Debus Mr Price
Mr Face Dr Refshauge
Mr Gaudry Mr Rogan
Mr Gibson Mr Rumble
Mrs Grusovin Mr Scully
Ms Hall Mr Shedden
Mr Harrison Mr Stewart
Ms Harrison Mr Sullivan
Mr Hunter Mr Watkins
Mr Iemma Mr Whelan
Mr Knowles Mr Woods
Mr Langton Mr Yeadon
Mrs Lo Po'
Mr Lynch Tellers,
Mr McBride Mr Beckroge
Mr McManus Mr Thompson

Mr Blackmore Mr O'Farrell
Mr Brogden Mr D. L. Page
Mr Chappell Mr Peacocke
Mrs Chikarovski Mr Phillips
Mr Cochran Mr Richardson
Mr Cruickshank Mr Rixon
Mr Debnam Mr Rozzoli
Mr Ellis Mr Schipp
Ms Ficarra Mr Schultz
Mr Glachan Ms Seaton
Mr Hartcher Mrs Skinner
Mr Hazzard Mr Slack-Smith
Mr Humpherson Mr Small
Mr Jeffery Mr Smith
Dr Kernohan Mrs Stone
Mr Kinross Mr Tink
Mr MacCarthy Mr J. H. Turner
Dr Macdonald Mr R. W. Turner
Mr Merton Tellers,
Mr Oakeshott Mr Fraser
Mr O'Doherty Mr Kerr
Mr Carr Mr Armstrong
Mr Knight Mr Beck
Mr Tripodi Mr Collins

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Amendment negatived.

Question - That the motion be agreed to - put.

The House divided.

Ms Allan Mr Markham
Mr Amery Mr Martin
Mr Anderson Ms Meagher
Ms Andrews Mr Mills
Mr Aquilina Mr Moss
Mrs Beamer Mr Nagle
Mr Clough Mr Neilly
Mr Crittenden Ms Nori
Mr Debus Mr Price
Mr Face Dr Refshauge
Mr Gaudry Mr Rogan
Mr Gibson Mr Rumble
Mrs Grusovin Mr Scully
Ms Hall Mr Shedden
Mr Harrison Mr Stewart
Ms Harrison Mr Sullivan
Mr Hunter Mr Watkins
Mr Iemma Mr Whelan
Mr Knowles Mr Woods
Mr Langton Mr Yeadon
Mrs Lo Po'
Mr Lynch Tellers,
Mr McBride Mr Beckroge
Mr McManus Mr Thompson

Mr Blackmore Mr O'Farrell
Mr Brogden Mr D. L. Page
Mr Chappell Mr Peacocke
Mrs Chikarovski Mr Phillips
Mr Cochran Mr Richardson
Mr Cruickshank Mr Rixon
Mr Debnam Mr Rozzoli
Mr Ellis Mr Schipp
Ms Ficarra Mr Schultz
Mr Glachan Ms Seaton
Mr Hartcher Mrs Skinner
Mr Hazzard Mr Slack-Smith
Mr Humpherson Mr Small
Mr Jeffery Mr Smith
Dr Kernohan Mrs Stone
Mr Kinross Mr Tink
Mr MacCarthy Mr J. H. Turner
Dr Macdonald Mr R. W. Turner
Mr Merton Tellers,
Mr Oakeshott Mr Fraser
Mr O'Doherty Mr Kerr
Page 5558
Mr Carr Mr Armstrong
Mr Knight Mr Beck
Mr Tripodi Mr Collins

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.