Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to participate in these estimates by asking some questions, if I may. Today at question time I noted that the minister referred to the undesirability of B-double traffic being mixed with suburban traffic. This is a feature that we see in my electorate every day on Pennant Hills Road, the link between the F3 and the M2.

I note that last year $150 million was appropriated for design work in relation to that road to ensure that it would be, presumably at some point in time, shovel ready in relation to the procedures that may enable a project to be considered for funding. I ask: has that money been spent? There is no appearance that I have seen of any spending of those funds. And if it has not, is the funding still there? What is the program for participating in activities that will bring this project to a point where it can be considered on its merits? In my view it is the most urgently needed improvement to infrastructure involving travel between Melbourne and Brisbane.

The other matter that I want to refer to is that I had some discussions about the noise made by very large transport vehicles, and I am told that there were measures to involve noise abatement that had to be considered at a transport ministers conference, presumably, where agreement is to be forthcoming about measures that will ensure the noise emanating from these vehicles is addressed. I would ask: what progress is being made on that? It has been suggested to me that something that was supposed to have occurred, perhaps even this year or earlier, is now being put back. If that is the case I think it would be undesirable, but I would appreciate some advice from you, Minister, as to the progress that is being made in relation to that matter as well.

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