F3 Link Road Private Plan

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday November 19, 2008

LEADER

THE Seahampton to Branxton F3 freeway link road has been top of the Hunter's infrastructure wish-list for some years. But while the region is united in its desire to have the important missing link finished as soon as possible, both the federal and state governments have been reluctant to actually start the job.

Nearly $50 million has been spent on preparatory work, but the Rudd Government put the brakes on spending when it was elected, deciding to invest $1 million on a Lower Hunter Transport Study to re-evaluate the project in a regional context. For its part, the State Government has declared the road to be a low priority.

At least part of the reason for the reluctance is the estimated cost of the project, already tipped to exceed $1.2 billion for just under 40 kilometres of road. It also happens to lie entirely within the safe Labor seat of Hunter.

No wonder a group of developers and property owners with land in the area has decided to try to push the languishing project up the list by proposing a less costly compromise plan. The developers' plan strongly backed by the Hunter Business Chamber is to build the least expensive northern portion of the link along its previously identified route then upgrade part of John Renshaw Drive to act as the other link section, saving about $400 million on the total project.

The land owners say they are willing to invest about $90 million of their own funds to make the scheme work. Naturally their own development proposals will benefit if the Government accepts the plan since the resulting "F3 lite" will provide access to their properties.

Some will be cynical on this count, but an element of self-interest on the part of the proponents should not disqualify the idea from being seriously considered. It may be that the savings offered by this or other compromise plans make the difference between the F3 link road project going ahead or remaining stalled for the foreseeable future.

The chief danger may be that if a compromise is adopted the ideal full link road route, as planned for so long, may never be built and the Hunter may be permanently stuck with a dog-legged highway section.

With the Federal Government preparing to allocate significant sums around Australia to a variety of infrastructure projects, now is a good time to discuss anything that might improve the Hunter's chances of winning a share of these funds.

A valuable award

CONGRATULATIONS to Andrew George, of Edgeworth, who has become the Hunter's first winner of the Master Builders Association's national apprentice of the year award.

The 21-year-old carpentry apprentice deserves great praise for his efforts and so does his employer, who has evidently provided a first-class trades education.

The award is a reminder of the value of the apprenticeship system and its vital place in ensuring the availability of high-quality skilled labour.

Good luck, Andrew, in your ambition to become a master builder in your own right.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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