A pre-Christmas road safety a w a r e n e s s blitz by Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Darren Chester, has started with an inspection of local ‘black spots’ on NSW Central Coast roads.
Mr Chester visited the stretch of the Scenic Highway at Terrigal with Member for Robertson, Ms Lucy Wicks, and underlined the importance of the Australian Government’s record investment in fi xing local roads. “The Coalition will invest $500 million in the Black Spot Programme over the 2014 to 2018 fi nancial years, including an extra $200 million over two years from 2015 to 16, to help tackle road safety across the nation,” Mr Chester said.
“Lucy is a local champion for road safety and is working closely with me to get funding to fi x dangerous roads throughout the region. “Being here today gives me a chance to learn more about problem roads from the people who use them every day. “The Government is committed to fi xing ‘black spots’ in Terrigal and the broader Central Coast, with more than $3.5 million for a number of local projects, including three projects recently completed in Gosford, East Gosford and Somersby. “The good news is, even more local Black Spot projects are in the pipeline, with works starting in the near future at Mooney Mooney and almost completed at Patonga. “Road safety needs to be a partnership between different levels of governments, police and the community, and that’s something I hope to advance by visiting the area today,” Mr Chester said.
Ms Wicks said she was determined to work with Central Coast Council and the local community to improve road safety. “I was pleased to show the Minister fi rst-hand some of the road safety issues around Terrigal’s Scenic Highway,” Ms Wicks said. “Residents have long been fi ghting for safety improvements along the highway, and that is a cause I am fi rmly supporting by nominating the road for federal Black Spot funding. “The importance of this issue to local residents was driven home to me at a highly productive community meeting on the issue recently. “My commitment is to continue to fi ght for a safer traffi c solution here and in other serious black spots including Willoughby Rd at Wamberal.” The latest review of the Black Spot Programme estimates that each black spot fi xed reduces fatal and casualty crashes by 30 per cent at those sites.
Media release, Dec 7, 2016 Tim Sowden, offi ce of Lucky Wicks