STATEMENT ON UPGRADE OF THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY
WHEN I was elected in 2007 I made a commitment to secure funds for the Pacific Highway to ensure that it would be rolled out in our region and in a timely way.
I have done what I committed to, and in this case, so has the Federal Minister responsible Anthony Albanese.
He has allocated $7.9 billion for the dual carriageway works in six years of this Federal Government.
This is an extra $6.6 billion more than that allocated by the previous Federal Coalition government, which allocated $1.3 billion over 12 years.
Some of the funding came from stimulus funds during the height of the Global Financial Crisis. It was good to get this extra money.
The Ballina Bypass was first completed as the planning had been done and that has helped the development of the Pacific Highway in our region enormously, in terms of safety and the 1800 jobs that it created.
The Devil’s Pulpit section (Tabbimoble) is being done now with $62 million in Federal funding and $15 million from New South Wales.
The same is happening there with the project creating 87 construction jobs and I met local lads who scored some of these jobs.
The planning works for the stretch from Woolgoolga to Grafton, Woodburn, Broadwater, Wardell and Ballina have also been done.
The pre-construction works from Woolgoolga to Grafton, Woodburn, Broadwater, Wardell and Ballina are the next to be done.
I am told that the NSW Roads and Maritime Services is ready to go on with this work.
Following my recent meetings with Minister Albanese to discuss the Pacific Highway, I understand that significant Federal dollars will soon be released for the highway.
I have asked him to come to Grafton and make an announcement on this so that the public can hear from him and me together.
Regarding the O’Farrell-Stoner Government’s reneging on the 50/50 funding agreement for the Pacific Highway upgrade, the facts are as follows:
The parameters of this long-standing agreement were set by John Howard when he was Prime Minister.
It is instructive to note that the former NSW Labor government provided a total of $2.5 billion for the highway during the Howard years, not only complying with the agreement but doing even better, to a point where it was spending
$2 for every $1 spent by the Federal Coalition.
Barry O’Farrell and Andrew Stoner repeatedly promised when in Opposition to continue this arrangement, but broke this promise after winning the 2011 March election. They said they wanted to change it to an 80/20 funding split, and of itself, that would be ok if they did not lie, but lie they did, saying it had always been 80/20.
It was a cunning ploy because due to the GFC there had been more stimulus money made available, so they took this extra windfall and said, see 80/20!
“The Coalition will declare the Pacific Highway as a road of national importance and will, on a dollar-for-dollar basis with the State governments, commit $75 million per year over a period of ten years to a special program of upgrading the highway...” – John Howard-led Coalition election policy: Transport for the Next Century, February 7, 1996.
“It was the Howard Government that set the 50/50 funding split for the Pacific Highway from 2006 and the NRMA has supported this approach since day one.” – NRMA Motoring & Services President Wendy Machin, February 27, 2012.
I mean, seriously, who are you going to believe?
I challenge my National Party opponent to deny the facts I have set out as follows, and if he does, it proves that he is either ignorant of this funding history or deceiving us. Either way, it is not a good look for someone who aspires to represent the people of the Federal seat of Page.
“The Pacific Highway is a State road, designed, built, owned and maintained by the NSW Government.” – Federal Nationals Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker, demanding that NSW Labor fund it 50/50, in 2006.
I mean, seriously, who are you going to believe here?
“Should we be elected next March, one of the first things I’ll do is sit down with Anthony Albanese and talk about spending up the project ... The Pacific Highway should be above party politics. It’s an ongoing partnership between the Federal Government and the State Government.” – NSW Liberals Leader Barry O’Farrell, The Northern Star, April 9, 2010.
“The NSW Liberals and Nationals will immediately fast-track the upgrade of the Pacific Highway if elected in March.” – NSW Nationals Leader Andrew Stoner, Media Release, February 21, 2011.
“Our plan is to make sure that the upgrade of the highway to dual carriageway will be completed by 2016.” – NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay, The Coffs Coast Advocate, April 6, 2011.
I mean, seriously, who are you going to believe?
I am going with the facts as evidenced by third party sources such as the NRMA President and former Prime Minister John Howard.
It is clear that my National Party opponent, along with the current Nationals Leader Warren Truss, has decided to try and make this an election issue, causing unnecessary concern in the community.
I can declare that I am not buying into their fabricated nonsense and promises to complete it by some time this decade, having gone from 2016 to now 2020; saying they will use funds from the Parramatta-Epping rail line in Sydney, which are just not there since the O’Farrell-Stoner Government decided that it did not want to do that work.
It is classic National Party tactic; say anything, muddy the debate, try to create confusion and then promise to fix it, whatever it is.
I cannot abide this sort of tactic as too many people have lost their lives in accidents on the highway, leaving families suffering terribly, and I believe to deliberately deceive people on this issue is unconscionable.
I shall stand on my record of being straight with the electorate, of being consistent, no matter who is government and at what levels. If my own need a serve, I will give them one; securing funding for the Pacific Highway upgrade and having the work done in our area; and importantly, of not having played games with it, trying to seek political advantage as my National Party opponent now seeks to do, aided and abetted by his NSW State Coalition colleagues.
Shame on all of them, I say.
There has to be some areas which are off limits in political life and this is one of them. I realised that I kept arguing with them and that is pointless, as once they have lied they will again.
On the North Coast alone, the Ballina Bypass, the Glenugie Upgrade, and the Banora Point Upgrade are all done, finished.
In addition, we’ve started work on The Devil’s Pulpit Upgrade and the duplication of the section between Tintenbar and Ewingsdale, and planning works are done for the remaining stretch between Woolgoolga and Ballina.
The roll out of the upgrade is decided between the State and Federal authorities and it is done where it is most dangerous.
That is a hard call as there are so many dangerous spots, but that is how it is. It would be great if it could roll out all at once, but it is a working highway and one which we need to upgrade section by section.
I remain committed to getting the job done. The Nationals simply cannot be believed.
Janelle Saffin MP
Federal Member for Page.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
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