The Beagle Editor
With all the money flowing into the shire and promised by our Governments to assist in the creation of job and growth, its about time the call to properly upgrade the Princes Highway in the Eurobodalla Shire was reignited, wouldn’t you say ? Our Councillors, with a bit of will, could start the process in council meetings, resolving to have discussions with the State and Federal Government Roads Ministers to make the matter a very high priority . The Princes Highway needs to be categorised as a Road of National Importance attracting more Federal Government financial responsibility.
It is all good for the NSW Roads Minister Melinda Pavey to called on the Federal Government and both major parties to immediately back a safer Princes Highway. We learn that she was speaking to Fairfax Media in Nowra on Wednesday and said the highway should be “beyond politics” also saying “We need to get those conversations across state and federal boundaries and get this road done,” If the NSW Roads Minister says the State is going to need the federal government’s help then what . It is ne thing for her to acknowledge that the majority of people in Australia live on the eastern seaboard and "we need to have a road and freight network that reflects that.“ is fine and saying time and time again “The community expects us to work together,” but where is the evidence that our Council is actually acheiving anything. Why was it that she was talking to the Shoalhaven Fourth Estate (the media) saying how terrific the State Government are for investing $1.7b in the Shoalhaven network instead of driving an hour south to meet with Eurobodalla and Bega Councillors to explain why there has been NO budget allocation at all for the Princes Highway south of the Batemans Bay bridge to the Victorian border. We hear the South East Area Transport Strategy President Patricia White is demanding an immediate commitment from all parties to 80-20 funding. Demand away all you like. There is no evidence that anyone is listening. Until there is a clear budget commitment all the meetings, photo opportunities and and media releases are just hot air and piffle. Where is the commitment to an intersection south of Batemans Bay for the embarassing Road to Nowhere that sits there useless waiting to be joined to the highway to by pass Batemans Bay. That project will create ten times more jobs in the region than any bridge or swimming pool. Name and address provided
