Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to draw attention to an important issue in my electorate of Robertson on the Central Coast. Over the past several weeks, residents in the suburbs of Hardys Bay, Killcare, Killcare Heights, Pretty Beach, Bensville and Empire Bay have been emailing me and contacting my office about the unsafe conditions at the Wards Hill Road and Empire Bay Drive intersection.

Residents have said that this intersection is not managing with the level of traffic that passes through it, especially during peak periods of the day. Consequently, this situation is creating unsafe driving conditions for many people and causing anguish for residents. I have heard and read reports from residents who have been directly involved in car accidents and the long-term effect that this is having on their lives and on their families. Residents have also shared stories of their near collisions that have occurred because of the difficult and confusing design of the intersection. This intersection simply has become too dangerous for many residents to use.

After reviewing the correspondence I had received, I decided to meet with the concerned residents on site. We met during a peak period of the day so that I could see firsthand the scale of the issue, and what I saw confirmed what residents had been telling me. The intersection is not managing current traffic levels, and this is causing unsafe conditions for drivers.

Following on from this meeting, I have written directly to the New South Wales Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison, and the Central Coast Council administrator, Mr Rik Hart. Residents may not be aware that both of these roads actually come under the responsibility of different levels of government: Empire Bay Drive is the responsibility of the New South Wales government and Wards Hill Road the responsibility of the Central Coast council. I am here in this capacity to bring both of these levels of government together to find a long-term solution to this issue, because that is what is required at this dangerous intersection.

As your member for Robertson, I will also advocate at the federal level to support improving this piece of infrastructure. I will continue to keep the community up to date on the responses from the Central Coast Council and the New South Wales government. Already, the federal Albanese Labor government has contributed $40 million to address local road repairs and renewals across the Central Coast. I will continue to be a strong advocate for further federal government funding assistance for local road projects in our region.

I'm pleased, as well, that there has been strong community support for action to date. My online petition has been signed by close to 400 people from not only the immediate surrounding communities but right across the Central Coast region. The Wards Hill Road and Empire Bay Drive intersection handles traffic from residents from the south, including from the peninsula—areas like Umina, Ettalong and Woy Woy—and residents from the north, including Erina, Terrigal and those central suburbs in Kincumber. The importance of this intersection cannot be understated. It highlights the need for urgent action and an urgent solution to this matter.

I wish to thank the concerned members of the community who have already signed my petition, and I encourage others to complete the petition by visiting my website. Together, if enough people get behind this issue, we can achieve a long-term, positive solution for this intersection and for the thousands of Central Coast residents and Central Coast commuters that use this part of our road network.

I want to give a special shout-out to some community advocates that have been emailing and calling both me personally and the office and have been advocating for quite some time for action on this issue. In particular, I'd like to highlight the efforts of Bill Young, Helen Matthews, Jane Leivesley, Samantha Goode and Treveen Brown. These residents on the Central Coast have been absolutely outstanding in their advocacy for local issues, but in particular they've been outstanding in their advocacy to improve the road network right across the Central Coast, including this most dangerous intersection. This must be addressed, and I'm here to bring all levels of government and stakeholders together to find a solution.

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