The Inland Route and Transport Policy

Whilst work continues on rebuilding the Hume, Pacific and Newell to modern engineering standards, our existing interstate mainlines are left with sub-standard alignments, and an Inland Railway linking Melbourne Parkes and Brisbane is subjected to study after study - firstly by the former Coalition government and then the Rudd Gillard governments.

            On 22 June 2012 at a Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail Symposium hosted by Parkes Shire Council, Minister Albanese and Shadow Minister Truss maintained that their party had done more than the other party to advance the inland railway, and, that their party would do more than the other party in the future.

            Minister Albanese, after referring to some recent transfer of Melbourne Brisbane freight from road to rail a record $12 billion federal investment in rail and a national rail safety regulator could not announce funds to get the Inland Route 'shovel ready.'

            Two days later, Mr Truss suggested that the $2.1m in federal funding allocated to the Parramatta to Epping urban rail link should be used instead for upgrades of the Pacific Highway. He would have done better to suggest that some any released rail funds would be used on the Inland Rail link.

            More generally, the Coalition's new 50-page policy booklet has no fewer than 12 mentions of 'roads', but none of 'rail' or 'public transport'. Check for yourself at:

http://lpa.webcontent.s3.amazonaws.com/realsolutions/LPA%20Policy%20Booklet%20210x210_final%20LIB.pdf

Pacific Highway Concerns and Alternative Projects

The Wollongong Transport Coalition (WTC) is concerned that the Australian Government's record funding of the Pacific Highway is diverting both federal and NSW Government funds from other road and rail projects.

            For some years, high level of federal spending on the Pacific Highway has been conditional on significant contributions from NSW Government funds.

This, in turn, has delayed road projects such as upgrading the Appin and Picton Roads as well as the Princes Highway.

            This is despite it being increasingly obvious, and as pointed out by Infrastructure NSW in their 2012 report that future Pacific Highway projects  will be on sections with lower traffic volumes, with benefit cost ratios as low as 0.8.  As this pro road report states, the money would be better spent on other road projects.

            On 23 December 2012, there was fatal road crash on the notorious  Mt Ousley F6 intersection, which is at one level, allowing traffic from Fairy Meadow and other locations to turn left to proceed up the Mt Ousley Road. 

            WTC calls for an underpass or overpass at or near the intersection the Mt Ousley Road and the F6.  Such grade separation could also provide an improved access to the University of Wollongong.