Mr Stewart McLeod PSM OAM Institute of Public Works Engineering - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Speaker: Mr Stewart McLeod PSM OAM Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia

THE QUESTION: HOW BEST CAN WE LINK AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL CITIES WITH REGIONAL CENTRES, AND REGIONAL CENTRES WITH EACH OTHER IN 30 AND 50 YEARS?

MY FIVE MAIN FOCUS AREAS: * STATE ROAD NETWORK UPGRADES * LOCAL ROADS FUNDING * HEAVY VEHICLE ACCESS * RAIL * AIR TRAVEL

1. STATE ROAD UPGRADES

1. STATE ROAD UPGRADES (cont.): • GOVT POLICY HAS ENSURED THE PACIFIC & HUME HWYS ARE DUAL CARRIAGEWAYS TO THE BORDER • DO THE SAME FOR PRINCES HWY & GT WESTERN HWY TO BATHURST (INCL BELLS LINE EXPRESSWAY) • ELSEWHERE DO TARGETED UPGRADES FOR A & B ROADS (EG OVERTAKING LANES EVERY 10 KMS ON A ROUTES & EVERY 20 KMS ON B ROUTES) • B81 NORTH FROM CANBERRA NEEDS UPGRADE

2. FUNDING FOR LOCAL ROADS: • THE CURRENT FUNDING MODEL IS BROKEN • LOCAL GOVT MANAGES 90% OF NSW ROADS BUT RECEIVES ONLY 20% OF TOTAL FUNDING • US LOCAL ROADS BY COMPARISON ARE FULLY FUNDED. EVEN SMALL REGIONAL CCLS ARE “OK”. • R2R $ SHOULD BE 5 TO 10 TIMES HIGHER. • SMALL WESTERN COUNCILS NEED SPECIAL FAGS $

3. HEAVY VEHICLE ACCESS: • THE “GENERAL ACCESS VEHICLE” DEFINITION NEEDS TO CHANGE (SEMIS ARE YESTERDAY’S VEHICLE) • DIALOGUE NEEDS TO BEGIN NOW BETWEEN RMS, LGNSW, IPWEA & NSW ROADS & TRANS DIRECT. • RMS SHOULD START ON ITS OWN A & B ROUTES • LOCAL GOVT NEEDS A $ INCENTIVE TO OVERCOME REAL & PERCEIVED ISSUES WITH WIDER ACCESS

4. RAIL ISSUES: • THE XPT IS CRUCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR REGIONAL NSW – ENSURE IT IS RETAINED IN PERPETUITY AS A CSO • LOOK AT REOPENING SOME BRANCH LINES • INVEST IN UNDOING SOME OF THE LEGACY TRACK INEFFICIENCIES PURPOSELY CREATED IN THE PERIOD 1880 TO 1910

5. AIR TRAVEL: • 30 YEARS AGO HUB & SPOKE AIR SERVICES OPERATED EFFECTIVELY ACROSS NSW • IN THE LAST 20 YEARS BOTH GOVT & AIRLINE OPERATORS ABANDONNED THE SMALLER TOWNS PURELY TO SAVE $ - ECONOMIC RATIONALISM! • A CSO MUST BE ADOPTED THAT FORCES THE REINTRODUCTION OF HUB & SPOKE SERVICES

THANK YOU