PENNANT HILLS ROAD - A DISASTER NOW RECOGNISED
The inclusion by Infrastructure Australia of the M2/F3 road link and the northern Sydney to Brisbane rail freight requirements, in the 90 or more major infrastructure development priorities, highlights Labor’s unreasonable bias against north western Sydney.
The present link between the M2 and F3 is the former bullock cart track now named Pennant Hills Road. It carries the majority of traffic destined between Sydney, the Central Coast, North Coast and Brisbane. The traffic is made up of road freight including B doubles as well as commuter and holiday traffic.
Pennant Hills Road takes heavy transport generated from the M7, the Cumberland Highway, Woodville Road and Silverwater Road. There are no other realistic alternatives for these four Highways to discharge their freight-carrying vehicles.
Road freight can never be entirely removed but if more were carried by rail on an expanded Sydney to Newcastle rail link, some reduction in heavy vehicles using Pennant Hills Road might occur.
Nevertheless, an alternative M2/F3 link either by tunnel or a genuine western orbital, or both, would still be required.
While the cost of road and rail infrastructure in the North West is higher because of its terrain this does not justify this major infrastructure blockage remaining unaddressed.
It is a great pity that neither Labor in Government in NSW, nor at a federal level, appear to recognise this major infrastructure requirement. The fact that Infrastructure Australia has undertaken an objective analysis and identified this need, should prompt Labor to put aside its prejudice against north western Sydney.
Failure to recognise and deal with this need will cost Labor dearly in seats like Robertson and Dobell, as well as Parramatta and Bennelong all of which are serviced by the M2 and F3 motorways.
If there is no political interference, in my view any objective analysis would accord priority to these particular projects.
The Howard Government, at the last election, promised $2B to add the M2/F3 link to the future Auslink funding.