Will history repeat itself in 2013?

 

Photo from ABC North Coast NSW

 

Given his poor performance as the NSW Member of Parliament representing the Clarence electorate, I imagine that there are many who hope that Chris Gulaptis departs in 2013 as abruptly as he did in 2004.

 

The then Minister for Local Government, Tony Kelly, notified me as the mayor of Maclean by voicemail that the council and I as mayor were sacked.

[Chris Gulaptis MP speaking in the NSW Parliament on 23 October 2012]

NSW Minister for Planning and Infrastructure told "This is not your future anymore this is my future"

 

 

 

Being sixteen years old and speaking out can sometimes be a hard thing to do, but Northern Rivers local Nicola Shipard held firm and publicly confronted the NSW Planning Minister during the state government's coal seam gas meeting at City Hall, Lismore on Wednesday 5 Dec 2012.

 

Brad Hazzard is visibly taken aback when told it is not his future which is under discussion but the younger generation's future.

Hazzard sent north to placate the locals while NSW Resources and Energy Minister Hartcher hides down south

 

Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Brad Hazzard addressing the Lismore meeting

Thomas George MP seated on his left

 

Yesterday the Hon. (Brad) Bradley Ronald Hazzard, BA, DipEd, LLB(NSW), LLM(Syd) MP, NSW Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Infrastructure NSW, Leader of the House and Member of the Liberal Party was part of the O’Farrell Government response to growing concerns about the potential impacts of coal seam gas mining on Northern Rivers residents, communities and regional economies.

 

It should of course have been the Minister for Resources and Energy, Chris Hartcher, who fronted this ‘information’ meeting as it is he who has been scattering petroleum exploration licences across the Northern Rivers since the last state election.

 

It would be an understatement to say that local opposition to coal seam gas mining was expressed forcefully, however the minister’s audience was not violent in any way.

 

Mr. Hazzard, the MP for Lismore Thomas George and senior public servants from Mineral Resources, Office of Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security, Office of Water and the Department of Planning & Infrastructure left the Lismore meeting to a sustained chant of No Mean No!
 

Rather predictably, Minister Hazzard who apparently came north prepared to politely talk at rather than with the community chose to portray the meeting as having been taken over by people who organised a demonstration - rather than see the audience response as evidence of regional frustration with a coal seam gas mining policy which deliberately sidelines landowners and communities.

ABC North Coast NSW audio recordings of the meeting:

Download this mp3 file

CSG meeting part one

CSG meeting part two

CSG meeting part three

CSG meeting part four

CSG meeting part five

CSG meeting part six

CSG meeting part seven

CSG meeting part eight

 

All images found on Twitter and The Northern Star

NSW Attorney-General and two separate defamation actions

 

Same court, same courtroom - on one day the respondent & on another the applicant.

 

Click on image to enlarge

Bazza O’Farrell and CSG miners out of control

7 News 23^rd November 2012:

“Residents of Sydney's southwest who thought they were safe from coal seam gas exploration are in for a rude shock.

7News can reveal gas company AGL is planning to drive new wells sideways under their homes.

Campbelltown seems like an unlikely place for mining, but under homes there is gas.

If it's approved, new rigs will burrow sideways to seek and extract.”

Apparently 66 wells are planned between Campbelltown and Liverpool and of course these will be changing rock integrity and water tables under houses. Does nobody remember the problems mining caused in the Newcastle area? Or how hard it is for homeowners to get compensation when things go wrong?

And it’s not ancient history.

This began last August:

“Mrs Mancinelli’s four-bedroom, two-storey home has shifted, creating large cracks on the front and inside walls, near doorways and windows, inside the house and the garage.The concrete pool has cracked and dropped. Doors in the house have been removed because they would no longer close, walls are bowed and the side fence is leaning at a precarious angle.Mrs Mancinelli’s family built the house 14 years ago and recently completed a large renovation. She said that in the space of five weeks, an area spanning about 11 metres from the front window to the back door, had dropped about 20cm and continued to fall.”

Now when miners first dug under or close to houses none of them ever thought there would be a problem – after all conventional underground coal mining had been going on for hundreds of years – but there was.

So why on earth is Bazza and his fatherless cronies even considering allowing unconventional coal seam gas mining under NSW homes?

Road Roulette: airborne asbestos fibres still float over Ewingar area

 

overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure

US National Cancer Institute

 

The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage has ordered the creation of a Remedial Action Plan in relation to gravel roads containing chrysotile asbestos (a Class1 human carcinogen) in the Ewingir area -  indicated in red on the map above.

 

Chrysotile and tremolite asbestos naturally occur in a number of areas of regional New South Wales. A number of former mine sites extracted asbestos deposits at Baryulgil (chrysotile), Barraba/Woods Reef (chrysotile), Orange district (tremolite asbestos), Gundagai district (actinolite asbestos) and Broken Hill district (chrysotile) between 1880 and 1976. [WorkCover Asbestos Blueprint November 2011]

 

In this recent instance, Clarence Valley Council’s problem stems from road fill material excavated from its own Taylor’s Quarry. Asbestos fibres taken from rock at this site average 0.22mm in length.

 

Council used contaminated gravel on public roads and, in the role of private contractor, deposited this gravel on private property.

 

Once asbestos was discovered in gravel road works in 2009 Council promptly sealed approximately 4 kilometres of road/road shoulder area. Tests carried out in this period on a number of roads (some of which were heavily compacted in preparation for sealing) showed airborne asbestos levels between less than 0.01 fibres/ml to 0.01 fibres/ml.

 

In 2010-11 Council went on to seal approximately 6 kilometres of similarly affected road.

 

So far this year it has sealed only 1.7 kilometres and states it intends to seal another 4.3 kilometres by the end of the 2012-13 financial year.

 

That appears to leave somewhere between 34-44 kilometres of gravel road still potentially raising fine airborne asbestos particles on any given day.

 

Council apparently does not intend to complete road sealing until sometime within the next five years.

However in November 2012 council management does not appear to have made elected members of Clarence Valley Council aware that the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, whose figures it quoted, is careful to point out that its first Control Level for Asbestos set at 0.01 fibres/mL of air is not a health-based standard.

 

I’m not so sure that the good people of Ewingar will continue to agree with the slow pace of remedial road works, once the full implication of the recent ABC TV program Devil’s Dust sinks in.

 

To date no safe level of asbestos exposure for lung cancer or mesothelioma has been identified [NSW Work Cover 2008].

It can be caused by very brief intense exposures whether occupational, domestic or recreational, and by lower-level environmental exposures – sometimes after exposures which are very short – a day – or very slight……..any of the groups of asbestos fibres to which the plaintiff was exposed either alone or in combination with others could have caused his disease.

[High Court of Australia, Heydon J in Amaca Pty Ltd v Booth; Amaba Pty Ltd v Booth [2011] HCA 53 ]

Most instances of non-occupational asbestos exposure occur during home renovations and car maintenance [The Australian Mesothelioma Registry Newsletter 1st Edition - October 2012].

 

According to the NSW Workers' Compensation Dust Diseases Board, the Asbestos Education Campaign 2012 will be launched at Customs House Square, opposite Circular Quay, in Sydney today at 11:45 am to mark the commencement of National Asbestos Awareness Week.

Background

 

Clarence Valley Council Investigation report - asbestos contaminated gravel

Asbestos poses a risk to health by inhalation whenever asbestos fibres become airborne and people are exposed to these fibres. Accordingly, exposure should be prevented. [NOHSC Australia 2005]

 

By 2030 the number of asbestos deaths

in Australia is predicted to reach 60,000,

equalling the number of Australians

killed in the First World War

[ABC TV Devil's Dust, November 2012]

Doubt now exists over all NSW mining exploration licences and mining leases granted since 1991

Chart from Eddie could always phone a friend
in The Sunday Telegraph 18 November 2012

 
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is currently; investigating, among other issues, the circumstances surrounding a decision made in 2008 by the then Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Mineral Resources, the Hon Ian Macdonald MLC, to open a mining area in the Bylong Valley for coal exploration, including whether the decision was influenced by the Hon Edward Obeid MLC (Operation Jasper).

There are now questions being asked about other NSW mining exploration licences and mining leases approved or extended between 1991 and 2012, with the media reporting allegations that an unspecified number of departmental files are now missing and therefore not available to the Inquiry.

Doyles Creek Mining, NuCoal Resources and Newcrest are three of the corporate names being mentioned in relation to alleged irregularities with their licences/leases.

Given the large number of exploration licences that have been granted over land on the NSW North Coast it might be advisable for concerned residents and community groups to investigate the application background of these licences, as well as the state political donation history of those mining companies involved.

So why did Grafton have to lose its gaol and the Clarence Valley economy take a hit when the O'Farrell Government's budget was in surplus by June 2012?

NSW Auditor-General’s Report to Parliament, 31 October 2012:
 

The 2011-12 Budget Result was a $680 million surplus, $1.4 billion better than expected.....

The Budget Result was $1.0 billion better than predicted in the 2012-13 Budget Papers published in June 2012.....

Total revenues and expenses for the whole-of-government were $71.3 billion and $69.6 billion respectively, resulting in a Net Operating Balance of $1.7 billion surplus....

The State had around $10.0 billion of cash and cash equivalents at 30 June 2012 ($11.8 billion). Most of the decrease was due to the transfer of $3.8 billion cash to the State’s superannuation investments. This cash was the proceeds from last year’s electricity transactions.

Total revenues, including revenue from taxation, grants and subsidies, sales of goods and services, interest, dividends and income tax equivalents, all increased in the year ending 30 June 2012. The State is fat with Commonwealth grants and subsidies, currently has over $300 billion in assets, mostly property, plant and equipment and still has a AAA international credit rating.
 

So why was it so urgent to suddenly close Grafton Gaol in June-July 2012 and put at least 100 local people out of work at short notice?

 

Ah, of course - O'Farrell & Co could get their sums right for the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund but couldn't add up when it came to the General Government Sector and decided to cry poor.

Since the announcement that the NSW Government now has a budgetary surplus, there have been two conflicting political untruths uttered:

When asked if restoring the Grafton jail to its former capacity was a possibility in light of the surplus, [NSW Deputy Premier] Mr Stoner said 'it was all in the mix.'

"It (the surplus) is not there. The underlying position of NSW remains in deficit," [NSW Treasurer] Mr Baird told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.

UPDATE:

A third conflicting political untruth has been put forward by the NSW North Coast Nationals; Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said the billion-dollar surplus was merely the result of dodgy accounting on the part of the Federal Government.
"This billion-dollar surplus is just extra revenue the Commonwealth has brought forward," said Mr Gulaptis. "It is just a combination of stimulus funding and the Federal Government bolstering their position." 

Protecting Our Water, Protecting Our Land: Be the difference!

 

The Illawarra joins the fight against Coal Seam Gas mining in New South Wales.

 

 

http://vimeo.com/stopcsg

 

Illawarra Mercury 21 October 2012

Persistent rumours grow legs in Cansdellgate

 

NSW Parliament Hansard 16 October 2012:

 

The Hon. MICK VEITCH: I direct my question to the Minister for Roads and Ports. Has the Minister received any information, verbal or written, suggesting that the former member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell, may have falsely nominated other drivers to cop the blame for traffic offences committed by him on more than one occasion? If so, did the Minister refer that information to the police? If not, why not?
The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: No and no.

 

NSW Parliament 16 October 2012:

 

The Hon. HELEN WESTWOOD: I direct my question to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, and Minister for the Hunter. What action is the Minister taking to ensure that a full and proper investigation is undertaken into the handling of the Steve Cansdell matter after the lawyer for the woman who blew the whistle publicly contradicted earlier suggestions that Mr Cansdell had escaped justice because she had refused to be interviewed?

The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER: If the member has concerns about the conduct of that investigation and she has reason to believe that something untoward happened, I suggest that she refer the matter to the Ombudsman. I have answered the question fully.

 

NSW Parliament Hansard 17 October 2012:

 

The Hon. LUKE FOLEY: I direct my question to the Minister for Roads and Ports. Has the Minister's office or department received any information of advice that would suggest the former member for Clarence, Mr Steve Cansdell, may have falsely nominated other drivers to shift the blame for traffic offences on more than one occasion?

The approaching storm about to engulf the NSW North Coast

 

When NSW Labor was swept from power 18 months ago, no issue symbolised the community’s frustration more than a notorious law known as Part 3A.

Part 3A gave the state government the power to remove decision-making on "significant" proposals from local councils and hand it to the minister, who could either make a decision or appoint an expert panels. Around NSW, community groups found that controversial developments were removed from their local councils……

Eventually, the NSW Minister for Planning Brad Hazzard appointed Tim Moore — an ex-minister for planning in a former Liberal government and former judge of the Land and Environment Court — and lawyer Ron Dyer to conduct a review.

Their review was expected to be the basis for a green paper, which was subsequently published in June. After a further consultation period, a white paper and draft legislation will be released later this year. When passed, this bill is expected to become the new planning legal framework, replacing the 1979 act, which was passed after the Green Ban period but has been constantly amended since.

The Moore/Dyer review found the key objective of planning reform should be to "provide an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable framework". But when the green paper appeared, this and many other recommendations had disappeared. Now the first objective was "economic development and competitiveness". The underlying philosophy was now pro-growth and pro-developer.

Community groups which had welcomed the solid consultation process of the review now found that the paper proposed less rights for community consultation than now exist. Under the new regime, communites would be engaged in forming broad regional plans, but once guidelines were in place they would not be consulted on developments in their local neighbourhoods.

Developers, on the other hand, could apply for rezonings, even if these did not fit with regional guidelines. If council decisions went against developers they could appeal to non-elected Regional Planning Boards that may include developer representatives. There would also be more opportunity in the new system for checking off proposals against a list of criteria, using certificates supplied by developer consultants.  [New Matilda 19 October 2012]

 

Rapacious land developers and real estate agents are about to be given carte blanche by the O’Farrell Government and, it is hard to see the situation ending well for coastal communities in particular when this pivitol recommendation set out below is apparently being rejected.

 

The Hon Tim Moore and The Hon Ron Dyer (May 2012) Recommendations of the Independent Review of the NSW Planning System:

 

A new legislative framework

The reforms need to be set out in a new legislative framework – one founded on three new

Acts of Parliament:

• a Sustainable Planning Act – to establish the framework for a reformed

planning system

• a Planning Commission Act – to establish the composition, powers and functions of

an independent Planning Commission

• a Spatial Information Act – to facilitate a ‘whole of government’ approach to

the application of information technology to spatial data (and not confined to

planning information).

The principal new legislation – the Sustainable Planning Act – will contain the major

elements of the reformed framework. It will be in a plain English, narrative form. Technical

aspects will be in schedules to the Act or in regulations (separate ones for different topics).

Although foreshadowed in this Volume, the discussion of and detailed recommendations for the proposed Planning Commission Act and proposed Spatial Information Act will be set out in Volume 2.

The Sustainable Planning Act will have a single overarching object:

The object of this Act is to provide an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable

framework for land use planning and for development proposal assessment and

determination together with the necessary ancillary legislative provisions to support

this framework.

The Act is structured to set out the elements necessary for this broad object and to

provide more detailed objects relevant to the planning processes.

• Independent Review Paper - Volume 1 - Major Issues (2.8mb)
• Independent Review Paper - Volume 2 - Other Issues (1.47mb)

The current O’Farrell-Stoner-Hazzard plan encapsulated:

individuals and markets are best placed to deliver diverse choices, vibrant communities and strong and sustainable economies

• A New Planning System for NSW - Green Paper (4.4mb)  

It should be noted that at least one of the NSW National Party MPs representing the North Coast, Chris Gualptis, is a former land developer.

Now the NSW Speaker becomes involved in Cansdell-gate

 

Rumours have been circulating on the NSW North Coast that there are more revelations to come in the matter of the O’Farrell Government, North Coast Nationals and disgraced former state government MP Steve Cansdell - this media report would seem to be the first of these.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald 18 October 2012:

ALLEGATIONS that the former NSW MP Steve Cansdell rorted a staff allowance to benefit a Nationals colleague were referred by corruption authorities to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly a year ago but not investigated.

The allegations, similar to those over which the former Labor MP Karyn Paluzzano was convicted last month, were made to the Independent Commission Against Corruption by Mr Cansdell's former staff member Kath Palmer.

Ms Palmer alleged Mr Cansdell, who was the member for Clarence and parliamentary secretary for police, abused a staff allowance by requiring her to work on the 2010 federal election campaign of the Nationals candidate for Page, Kevin Hogan…..

Ms Palmer also said Mr Cansdell submitted claims for the allowance that differed from the days she worked.

The ICAC referred the allegations to the Speaker, Shelley Hancock, Ms Palmer's employer, last November. But Ms Hancock, who is also the Liberal MP for South Coast, did not pursue the matter.

''I considered material conveyed to me from ICAC, noting that they had not taken any action in respect of the allegations,'' Ms Hancock told the Herald. ''On the basis of the nature of the material, it was concluded at the time that it was not appropriate for this matter to be pursued since verification of the material would be difficult.''

Following inquiries by the Herald, Ms Hancock has asked parliamentary officers to review the material, which is understood to include Ms Palmer's work diaries and claim forms.

The decision to review the material could pose difficulties for Mr Hogan, who has been preselected to contest Page for the Nationals at next year's federal election.

The revelation adds to questions surrounding the handling of allegations against Mr Cansdell, who resigned from state Parliament in September last year after admitting to falsifying a statutory declaration to keep his driver's licence.

Mr Cansdell admitted to falsifying a statutory declaration to say Ms Palmer was driving his car when it was caught speeding in 2005……

NSW Police accused of lying about Cansdell case

The Sydney Morning Herald 13 October 2012:

THE lawyer for the woman who blew the whistle on the disgraced former MP Steve Cansdell for falsifying a statutory declaration has accused police of threatening her and then lying about their reasons for not pursuing charges against him.

He is also calling for an independent inquiry into the way police have handled the case.

Mr Cansdell, who was parliamentary secretary for police, resigned from State Parliament in September last year after admitting to signing a false statutory declaration that an aide, Kath Palmer, was driving when he was caught speeding in 2005.

On Wednesday NSW police issued a statement saying they would not pursue charges as the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions said there were not reasonable prospects of a conviction for a federal offence. It noted that Ms Palmer ''declined to be interviewed by officers''.

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But Ms Palmer's solicitor, Mark Spagnolo, said yesterday the statement was ''a lie''. In an email to police on October 19 last year, seen by the Herald, Mr Spagnolo said while Ms Palmer declined to be formally interviewed she would make an ''induced statement'' which would protect her from prosecution.

Mr Spagnolo said this was because the investigator, Detective Peter O'Reilly, had earlier told him police were considering charging Ms Palmer with ''perverting the course of justice'' for her part in the false statutory declaration.

Mr Spagnolo said Detective O'Reilly rejected the offer of an induced statement.

According to a file note made by Mr Spagnolo, Detective O'Reilly said ''he did not have to go down that path as Mr Cansdell was going to, using his words, throw his hands up to the matter and therefore as Kath made it public in the newspapers the police will be investigating charges of her''.

Yesterday Mr Spagnolo said Ms Palmer felt ''completely wronged'' and called for an independent investigation.

''After having the courage to blow the whistle on a member of Parliament who was also a parliamentary secretary for the police, my client was threatened by the police with charges of perverting the course of justice,'' he said. ''She was devastated by the fact that going public to report on a politician who was prepared to swear a false statutory declaration and lie to save his driver's licence led her to face the threat of criminal charges''.

Mr Spagnolo said that ''the message from the police is, put in a politician linked to the police by his office for falsifying documents and we will charge you.''

A police spokesman said Ms Palmer was offered a formal interview under caution ''but this was declined''…..

The State Infrastructure Strategy 2012 - 2032: Cheat Sheet for NSW North Coast residents and other users of the Pacific Highway

 

First Things First: The State Infrastructure Strategy 2012 – 2032 [Infrastructure NSW]

 

Selected quotes from this document concerning the Pacific Highway upgrade – in which Greiner et al recognise the economic importance of this highway, the safety issues for users** and, then recommend that upgrade funding first go towards that road leg closest to Sydney while pushing out the completion schedule for North Coast sections until 2022 and suggesting drivers might possibily have to pay a toll or similar tax:

 

Duplication of the Pacific Highway and the Princes

Highway (to the Jervis Bay turnoff) are critical for

economic growth along the coast. Inland, freight access

needs to be improved through a bridge replacement

program and investments to fix identified bottlenecks on

both railways and roads.

 

2012-17 Pacific Highway and Princes Highway: review scope and costs,

then continue construction*

* Indicates project recommendations that are existing Government commitments.

 

2017-22 Complete duplication of Pacific Highway and Princes Highway

(to Jervis Bay turnoff)*

 

A number of major road programs are underway.

These include upgrades to the Pacific Highway

and Princes Highway. Getting the best value for

these major investments is essential. Infrastructure

NSW is concerned that cost estimates for these

programs appear very high.

 

Major investment has been undertaken in recent years

on the regional road network in Regional NSW. This

has been supported by Commonwealth Government

funding through the Nation Building Program, which

will invest around $11 billion in regional NSW’s roads

over the period from 2008-09 to 2013-14. Projects

have included investment in the duplication of the

Hume and Pacific Highways, and in new routes such

as the Hunter Expressway.

 

The ongoing Pacific Highway duplication is

one of the largest infrastructure programs in the State.

 

10.6.2. Duplicating the Pacific Highway

Current Status

The Pacific Highway runs 670 kilometres from the F3 at

Hexham to the Queensland border. It carries over half the

freight task between Sydney and Brisbane, as well as a mix

of long distance and local vehicle traffic. Road safety has

been another major driver of investment in this corridor.

As at April 2012, 52 percent of the Highway

(346 kilometre) had been upgraded to dual carriageway

and another nine percent (60 kilometre) was under

construction. A further $7.7 billion is forecast to be

needed for remaining unfunded works (giving a total

program cost of over $16 billion). The NSW and

Commonwealth Governments are in discussion around

funding options for remaining works.

 

Scope of Remaining Work

The remaining undivided sections of the Pacific Highway

comprise two main sections:

• Port Macquarie to Urunga

• Woolgoolga to Ballina

The economic merit of the remaining sections is

much lower at 0.8 (Benefit Cost Ratio) than that of the

Highway as a whole31. This reflects the relatively low

traffic volumes on the remaining sections – for example

the traffic between Woolgoolga and Ballina is generally

below 10,000 vehicles per day.

Given competing priorities for NSW and Commonwealth

Government funds, the high cost and relatively limited

benefits of these remaining sections raises questions

about the:

• relative merit of prioritising busier sections of the

Pacific Highway corridor for upgrade sooner,

(in particular from the F3 to Raymond Terrace

40,000 vehicles per day)

• appropriate scope of works and priority for those

sections with relatively light traffic.

 

Construction costs

Construction costs on the Pacific Highway appear to have

increased significantly as the upgrades have progressed.

The cost of the currently unfunded sections are estimated

to be some 20–40 percent more per kilometre than the

already delivered or committed sections, even after

allowing for normal industry cost escalation32.

Current highway planning seems more focussed on

delivering an outstanding engineering outcome than

on controlling costs. The Ballina Bypass provides a

recent illustration of the consequences of having high

performance standards. For 12 kilometres of new road,

the cost was $640 million – more than twice the cost per

kilometre of previous sections33.

Given the scale of the forecast spending and the limited

resources available, Infrastructure NSW recommends

that now is an appropriate time for an independent review

of the scope of work, with a focus on value engineering

(discussed in section 16). The independent review

should also consider how constraints such as work

practices and planning approval conditions are adding

to the budget.

RMS should also consider options to improve

contracting efficiency. Currently the Highway is being

constructed through a large number of different

contracts, which reduces the scope for economies

of scale and in practice limits potential bidders to

local suppliers.

Lower costs may be achieved if the remaining unfunded

sections were issued as fewer, but much larger

packages, which may attract international suppliers and

increase competitive pressure.

 

Given the scale of major road programs in

Regional NSW, action is needed to contain costs and

where possible, particularly with the Pacific Highway

and Princes Highway programs. Finite funding means

the alternative is likely to be further delay in delivering

these programs.

In many cases, pinch point upgrades will be sufficient

to meet the transport demands placed on the regional

roads network over the next 20 years.

 

Commonwealth

Commonwealth funding may augment the funding

options under the State’s control. The Federal

Government has made significant contributions to NSW

infrastructure projects in recent years, particularly the

Pacific Highway, freight rail upgrades and the M7.

Infrastructure Australia has identified a number

of key themes and challenges that are consistent

with the approach taken by Infrastructure NSW. In

particular there is a shared focus on improving the

liveability and productivity of our cities, the efficiency

of our international gateways and the prosperity of

regional areas.

The challenge is to ensure that NSW’s infrastructure

projects are best positioned to secure Commonwealth

support going forward. This requires a more rigorous

approach to planning and selecting projects for

submission to Infrastructure Australia, as well as a

more thorough exposition of their benefits relative to

Infrastructure Australia’s priorities.

Nonetheless it must be recognised that current fiscal

pressures at the Federal level mean that Commonwealth

support cannot be seen as an alternative to the other

funding strategies set out in this section, in particular the

user funding options.

 

**  NSW Parliament Hansard records that there have been 555 fatalities on the Pacific Highway between 1997 and early 2012. The Daily Examiner on 5 October stated that; In the past year 107 people lost their lives on the road north of Newcastle.

 

THE risk of serious injury or death in a crash has moved further north since new sections of divided road on the Pacific Highway have been built between Sydney and Coffs Harbour.