Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to draw attention to the excellent work being done by the Turnbull government in building the NorthConnex road project in my electorate of Berowra. The NRMA says Pennant Hills Road is one of the worst roads in Australia. Berowra locals do not need the NRMA to tell us that. After he came back from the war, my grandfather built his first home on Pennant Hills Road. Back then, it was a quiet suburban byway. My wife's grandfather set up his dental practice on the same road and could play cricket across the road with the shopkeepers on the other side. Now Pennant Hills Road is an eight-lane nightmare festooned with semitrailers and B-double trucks. Living in Pennant Hills and driving the road every day, I know just how bad it is.

For too long, the people of Berowra have suffered from the total failure of successive state and federal Labor governments to invest in much needed road infrastructure in Sydney. The pressure that this has placed on local communities and local roads is incredible. But now Liberal state and federal governments are working together, along with Transurban, to fix this problem. NorthConnex is an outstanding example of the coalition's commitment to building infrastructure across Australia. NorthConnex is a critical project for Berowra. Our community can see the real benefits it will deliver every day. The project has been developed with an unprecedented level of community engagement and consultation.

During the election campaign, I was constantly approached by people expressing their support for NorthConnex. They are sick of the traffic delays, sick of the exhaust fumes and sick of the noise, the accidents and the congestion.    They are sick of Labor and the Greens forgetting about the interests of the hardworking people in Northern Sydney. In fact, my Green opponent at the election campaign actually said she was opposed to NorthConnex.

The scale of the NorthConnex project is immense. The project is budgeted at $3 billion and, at nine kilometres, NorthConnex is the longest tunnel project in Australia. It will take 5,000 trucks off Pennant Hills Road every day. This will have a huge effect on amenity for the local community as we reclaim our local streets for local residents and local businesses. It will significantly reduce air and noise pollution. There are around 360 traffic incidents on Pennant Hills Road each year. That is almost one every day. NorthConnex will play a vital role in reducing these daily traffic incidents and delays, often related to truck breakdowns. It will also contribute to greater road safety in our area.

One of the most widely anticipated benefits of NorthConnex in our local community is the rehabilitation and revitalisation of Hornsby Quarry. I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of my state colleague, Matt Kean MP, the member for Hornsby, who has advocated tirelessly for this project funded by the Commonwealth, the state and the local council. Hornsby Quarry has been a blight on our local landscape for years. Matt's plan will see the old quarry filled with around a million cubic metres of spoil from the NorthConnex construction and then landscaped to become the centennial parklands of our area. Work is due to commence on this particular aspect of the project this month.

Construction on NorthConnex started last year and it is due to be opened to traffic in 2019. Tunnelling is well underway with seven roadheaders working in three locations. The innovation of new modern and safe technology in the form of controlled blasting to excavate shafts leading to the tunnels has been particularly noteworthy. This method brings considerable benefits to local residents, including significant noise reduction and accelerated construction time for tunnel shaft excavation.

The final tunnel will include new safety measures for motorists not seen on any project in our state's history. This includes a visibility standard that has not been reached in New South Wales before. Air quality levels will be reported live and publicly available. NorthConnex will bring the world's best standards of infrastructure. By linking the M1 and the M2, NorthConnex delivers the missing link in Sydney's motorway system. It connects Sydney's orbital network, the M5 and the M7, with the M1. The benefits will be felt far beyond the boundaries of Berowra. NorthConnex creates more efficient movement of state and national freight. It will offer motorists up to 15 minutes in saved travel time and allow them to bypass 21 traffic lights.

I want to acknowledge the work of Transurban on this project, particularly the project manager, Steve Cornish, whose consultative efforts have been much appreciated. Like my hardworking colleague, the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, I am absolutely delighted to see the construction of NorthConnex coming along so well. It is one of the most important pieces of infrastructure ever built in Berowra. I am delighted that to date the project is being delivered on time and on budget. I would be happy to be known as the member for NorthConnex!

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