Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Far and away the biggest problem faced by the entire community on the Northern Beaches is transport. The Wakehurst Parkway is a vital transportation artery on the Northern Beaches, yet the parkway is flooded and closed at least three or four times a year. With the increasing pace of development on the peninsula, the construction of Northern Beaches Hospital and the need for emergency access despite regular flooding near Middle Creek, the parkway needs to be widened from North Narrabeen to Seaforth, and flood proofed. Dredging Middle Creek, and raising and widening roadways are on the table. But the parkway simply needs to be rebuilt, including all the bridges.

The Liberal state government provided $5 million in preliminary funding to help the council find practical actions to minimise siltation and to improve water flows to prevent flooding. Works to clear the build-up of sand, vegetation and other debris which restrict the flow of Middle Creek are the start of potential future works on the parkway. For Northern Beaches residents dependent on the parkway for access to the new hospital and travel to the city, the present rate of closure is simply unacceptable.