This week saw the re-appearance of documents that had supposedly been shredded by a Premier's senior policy advisor.
The documents are evidence of pork barrelling in the lead-up to the last election.
The Beagle can advise that the pork-barrelling of the $252 million Stronger Communities Fund under investigation did not include the Bega Electorate and were confined to metropolitan councils.
Above: The Beagle has verified that Bega electorate is not included in the documents that have been recovered
We have, however, been the recipient of pork barrelling by way of the $8m granted for the Mackay Park Arts Centre that was announced by the Premier and local Member several months before the qualifying Round was open for applications.
Of interest this week was to hear the Premier say:
This might explain why the NSW 2020-2021 Budget made no reference to the proposed Moruya Bypass nor the South Batemans Bay Link Road projects. Normally when this happens these unfunded projects are placed in the category of Undelivered Election Promises, or, in the words of the Premier, "to curry favour". NOTE that the 2019 New South Wales State election was held on Saturday 23 March 2019 The announcement of the Moruya Bypass was first made on Mar 6, 2019 by the Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Roads Minister Melinda Pavey and Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, when it was advised that "the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will invest another $960 million upgrading more of the Princes Highway - making the road safer and bringing new jobs and investment to the South Coast." Making the announcement the Premier said "In the next term of government, the NSW Liberals & Nationals will:
Duplicate sections of the Princes Highway from Jervis Bay Road to Sussex Inlet Road;
Build the Moruya Bypass; and
Start detailed planning work for the Milton and Ulladulla Bypass and upgrades for the Princes Highway from Burrill Lake to Batemans Bay.
Moruya Bypass Most recently, in August 2020, Transport for NSW thanked those who provided feedback during their consultation period that assessed community feedback on the proposed Moruya bypass aiming to address the current and future transport needs of Moruya and surrounding communities providing safer and more reliable journeys.
Transport for NSW received 232 comments via the online interactive map and 63 emails to the project email address. Of the feedback received, 375 unique issues were identified focusing on key topics including; location of the proposed bypass and design suggestions, environmental impacts, potential social and economic impacts and traffic and transport issues in and around Moruya.
In August 2020 Transport for NSW said they will use the feedback to develop and refine designs of potential route options before selecting a preferred bypass route. However in the NSW 2020 - 2021 Budget papers the only possible line item found that might include the Moruya Bypass (though it is NOT specifically mentioned) is:
Princes Highway Upgrade Program (Planning) (State and Federal Funded) Nowra - Moruya $20,14,000 which will include the upgrades to the intersection of Jervis Bay Road and Princes Highway, Jervis Bay to Sussex Inlet upgrade and the Milton Ulladulla Bypass.
South Batemans Bay Link Road
On January 8th 2019 the NSW Government announced they would commit $30 million to funding a new intersection to connect the South Batemans Bay Link Road with the Princes Highway.
The South Batemans Bay Link Road currently stops a few hundred metres short of the Princes Highway The NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian MP and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance MP made the announcement on site on 8th January that $30m would be provided by the NSW State Government. At the time Premier Gladys Berejiklian “We know this intersection is an important project that will benefit the local community and its many visitors, which is why the NSW Government is getting on with the job of making it happen,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The planning work and the development of the design for the new intersection are already being carried out and construction will begin as fast as possible.” Transport for NSW advised in July 2020 that construction of the proposal is planned to be completed by 2023. Questions have now been sent to the NSW Treasurer asking for more details around the funding status of these two projects.
