By Michael Burt
Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan says Labor’s Minister for Transport ignored the immediate needs of the Dorrigo and Bellingen communities during her visit to Coffs Harbour last week.
Catherine King, whose full title is Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, was in town to check out the Coffs Harbour Bypass tunnels 10 months ahead of a scheduled opening.
“Last week, I once again invited the Minister to visit Bellingen Shire Council and see the issue and the critical needs of Dorrigo Plateau communities for herself. She would have known weeks ago that she would be in our area today, and yet I received no response,” Mr Conaghan said.
“Mayor Steve Allan has also advocated directly for her to visit Waterfall Way in recent years and months and has never received a reply.”
“I understand that the Bypass is exciting news and a large investment made by taxpayers over successive budgets from 2018 to today, but it’s a bit rich to claim credit for a success story while ignoring the urgent needs of a neighbouring town.”
“The people of Bellingen and Dorrigo should not be treated as second class citizens because they didn’t vote Labor.”
Bellingen Chamber of Commerce President, Frank Perez, backed Mr Conaghan’s advocacy for Federal Government support to fund a long-term solution for Waterfall Way.
Mr Perez thanked NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison and Transport for NSW for listening and acting on the Waterfall Way dilemma. He said the Chamber, Bellingen Shire Council and Oxley Michael Kemp MP have jointly advocated for action from the State Government, and it is now time for the Albanese Government to step in.
“It’s going to take significant capital for a long-term solution, and we want the Federal Government to start taking action to address a major thoroughfare,” Mr Perez said.
Minister King told ABC radio that the NSW Government would need to approach the Commonwealth with a Waterfall Way project that could be considered as part of the Federal budget process.
“So, if there’s a request from the New South Wales Government for co-investment from the Commonwealth, we will certainly have a look at that,” the Minister told ABC radio.
“There’s a lot of asks. I have billions and billions of dollars of asks every single year from states and territories.”
“Big projects have to have assessments undertaken by Infrastructure Australia first, so anything over $250 million will need to go through Infrastructure Australia I don’t think that project has gone through Infrastructure Australia as far as I know.”
“But again, it will really be a matter for the New South Wales government to come and talk to us about what their priorities are and then we’ll look at it in the budget process.”