Month: July 2024

Residents, tourists and businesses in far western NSW are benefiting from an almost $10 million NSW Labor Government investment in upgrades to local roads in the Cobar and Unincorporated areas.

The upgrades are making outback roads safer, improving travel times for motorists and more people can stay on the road and get to where they need to go when there is wet weather.

On an outback trip last week, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison inspected projects funded through the Fixing Local Roads Program.

One of the projects completed by Cobar Shire Council is the upgrade of Wilga Downs Road which received almost $2.8 million from the NSW Government and almost $250,000 from council.

The sealing of nearly 14 kilometres of the road, construction of a causeway and stabilising of causeways means local industries, families and medical services now have all-weather access on an important route between the Cobar and Bourke Shires.

Another key far west road upgrade is also complete, with $2.75 million invested in improving the Cameron Corner Road, which straddles the border of NSW, Queensland and South Australia.

Transport for NSW delivered the works realigning two curves, rehabilitating the road, improving drainage, installing gravel overlay and sealing 2km of road.

Crews who delivered Cameron Corner Road upgrade are now working on two other local road improvements worth around $4.2 million and which will reduce the threat of erosion during storm events and improve wet weather resilience.

Southwest of Broken Hill, off the Silver City Highway, work on Netley Road is scheduled to begin in September 2024 to upgrade causeways by stabilising pavements and extending sealed sections.

At Bootra Road, northeast of Broken Hill near Packsaddle, work starts in July to deliver three kilometres of formation improvements and gravel resheeting to help reduce the need for road closures.

Each project is expected to take around three months to complete, weather permitting.

While rain and storms have significant impact on the road network in the far west, and these projects are designed to address that, recent wet weather has had an ecological silver lining.

After high rain fall in January and February, a Transport crew noticed an abundance of plants and animals including the Shield Shrimp (Triops Australianises), in pools of water that formed next to the Cameron Corner Road site.

Known as the ‘Shrimp of the outback’ it lives in arid parts of Australia and can lay dormant for over seven years until there is enough rainfall for them to hatch and feed.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“These four local road projects, totalling around $10 million of NSW Government investment, are critical resilience boosting measures for the road network in the far west.

“Better road surfaces and enhanced safety will be welcomed not only by local residents, emergency services and the mining and farming industries, but also by tourists who enjoy visiting the outback and have not often driven on gravel roads.

“Safer, more resilient roads are vital to the mining, pastoral and cropping industries. To give an example of just how vital these roads are, in some cases they are the only access point for pastoral stations and are therefore critical for the families who live and work there to get to school, medical appointments and to get their goods to and from market.”

Cobar Shire Council Mayor Jarrod Marsden said:

“We are delighted to have completed the important upgrade to Wilga Downs Road. Prior to the sealing work this route was closed 15 days per year on average due to rain, with washed out shoulders, forcing speed restrictions to be put in place.

“Every time the road was impassable, it would add around an hour of extra travel time which impacted community members in many ways including missed medical appointments and children not being able to get to school.

“The Shire’s prosperity is built around the mining industry of copper, lead, silver, zinc and gold, as well as pastoral and cropping enterprises. Having access on this road during all-weather events will help provide these industries with safe, reliable transport routes.

“The project to upgrade Wilga Downs Road has also provided a local economic boost with more than 1100 hours of work involved.”

The upgrade of Milton Ulladulla Hospital is moving ahead with a specialist team appointed to commence planning and design works.

The appointment is part of the NSW Government’s $7.5 million investment to deliver improved health services and infrastructure at Milton Ulladulla Hospital to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the local community.

The project scope and construction timeframes will be determined as part of the planning and design process and will include consultation will staff, stakeholders and the community. 

In addition to the planning and design of infrastructure upgrades at Milton Ulladulla Hospital, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District recently commenced the development of a draft Health Service Plan for the Milton Ulladulla facility. 

The draft Health Service Plan will guide future health and hospital service delivery over the next 10 – 15 years at Milton Ulladulla Hospital, including responding to the changing needs of the community such as:

• Increasing demand on the Milton Ulladulla Hospital Emergency Department, particularly through the peak summer period.
• The need for appropriate service models in response to the growing ageing population.
• Increasing need for non-hospital models of care, supporting the community to stay healthy at home.
• Exploring enhanced maternity services, including birthing services, so that local women can receive care as close to home as possible.

The community will be invited to have their say on the draft Health Service Plan at community sessions planned for September this year.

The NSW Government is also delivering the more than $780 million new Shellharbour Hospital and Integrated Servies project, and the $438 million Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment, making it the health hub for the entire Illawarra, reducing the need to transfer patients to Wollongong and Sydney.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“The appointment of the project manager, architect and cost manager is an important milestone in the delivery of the upgrade of the Milton Ulladulla Hospital.

“This experienced project team will work with staff, patients and the community to ensure the improvements best meet the needs of the community.”

Member for South Coast Liza Butler:

“The Milton Ulladulla Hospital is a key regional hospital in the southern Shoalhaven, providing important healthcare services close to home.

“Consultation with the local community, including staff and stakeholders, will help guide the planning and design process for the hospital to ensure it meets our health needs now and into the future.”

Isolated Outback communities previously starved of transport options will soon have access to new bus services funded by the NSW Labor Government. The Brewarrina Outback Express and the Barraay Waraba, meaning ‘Fast Turtle’ in Gamilaraay language, will each offer flexible pre-booked transport services for the Brewarrina and Collarenebri communities on a trial basis for 24 months. The two services will give communities greater access to vital health care, employment, social and recreation opportunities which are often for taken for granted in larger towns and cities. Each service is expected to prove popular as in Brewarrina and Collarenebri, the proportion of households without a registered motor vehicle is well above the state average. In Collarenebri it’s actually twice the state average. Both services have been able to get up and running thanks to funding from the government’s Transport Access Regional Partnerships (TARP) grants program. The Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Lands Council received a grant to operate the Outback Express which will run three days a week from 31 July, servicing the Brewarrina community as well as four neighbouring Aboriginal villages — Bush Queen, Barwon 4, Newtown and Billabong. In late August the Express will also extend to offer a return service from Brewarrina to Bourke once a week on Thursday, and once a fortnight on a Friday from Weilmoringle to Brewarrina. This will allow residents from Brewarrina and Weilmoringle reliable access to essential services such as medical care. The Barraay Waraba (Fast Turtle) project was proposed by the Healthy Communities Foundation and will establish a regular and reliable transport service between Collarenebri and Moree every Thursday, as well as between Collarenebri and Walgett on Monday and Friday. The Point to Point Transport Commissioner has been working side by side with Transport for NSW to help these two providers become accredited to operate the services. The Brewarrina Outback Express starts operating on 31 July and bookings can be made in person from 30 July at 105 Bathurst Street in Brewarrina or by calling 6839 2273. The Collarenebri Barraay Waraba (Fast Turtle) service is planned to start on 18 July and bookings can be made from Wednesday 17 July by calling 02 5809 9505 or by dropping into the Healthy Communities office at 11 Wilson Street in Collarenebri. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said: “Outside of school student travel there was previously no transport options for residents of Weilmoringle, 100 kilometres north of Brewarrina. 02 7225 6000 52 Martin Place Sydney NSW 2000 GPO Box 5341 Sydney NSW 2001 OFFICIAL 1 OFFICIAL “Now thanks to investments the NSW Labor Government is making to reduce isolation and improve access to transport where it’s needed most, residents in places like Weilmoringle have a regular service they can rely on to get them to the doctor, grocery store or other transport services. “These might sound like small things to people in the city but our government understands that investing in services like the Outback Express and Barraay Waraba Fast Turtle can actually make a huge difference to people’s lives by helping to close gaps in life expectancy, educational, employment and other outcomes we often see in remote parts of our state.” Independent Member for Barwon Roy Butler said: “The Brewarrina Outback Express and the Barraay Waraba (Fast Turtle) will vastly improve travel opportunities and help reduce isolation. “People living in remote communities shouldn’t miss out on travel opportunities, family visits and important appointments because of a lack of transport options. Improving public transport to remote communities will help have an impact on everything from cost-of-living pressures to medical outcomes for people in the bush. “I hope the local communities will take advantage of these new services and that we make sure they’re around for a long time to come.” Labor’s spokesperson for Barwon Stephen Lawrence said: “In Collarenebri, there is no current transport option other than limited transport for those with medical needs, no transport available at all to get to Walgett and, limited availability of private vehicles. “This is just one community I’m delighted to see will benefit from the NSW Labor Government’s investments in improved access to transport. “For too long these communities were overlooked by the city-centric former Liberal National Government and I’m proud Labor is directing investments responsibly where they’re needed most.” Brewarrina Shire Council Mayor Vivian Slack-Smith said: “This is a service the Brewarrina and Weilmoringle communities have long been calling for. “Thank you to the Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Lands Council, who will operate the service, and to Minister Aitchison and the Transport Access Regional Partnerships (TARP) grants program for funding this vital service. “It will make a real difference in the lives of many in our community, helping them to have easier access to services and opportunities in town, and the wider region.”