I have noticed Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Mr Scot MacDonald’s recent pronouncements in respect of the development of a Rail Maintenance Facility in wetlands at Kangy Angy, including the announcement of the successful tenderer for this project.
From an operational perspective, the proposed Warnervale site is far superior.
Warnervale offers drive-through in and out on the same down main track.
Kangy Angy is in-out via the same crossover, and requires a shunting operation across both tracks at Kangy Angy, or a journey further north to crossover points, to get trains back on the up main for the journey to Sydney.
Warnervale is at the end-of-the-route of all major Central Coast stations.
Kangy Angy is mid-route between Gosford and Tuggerah-Wyong.
Warnervale avoids almost every one of the problems associated with Kangy Angy.
Kangy Angy requires a new roundabout, slowing traffic on Enterprise Dve, a huge heavy duty overbridge across the railway line, thousands of cubic metres of fill, plus piers driven to bedrock to support a heavy engineering facility being built in a wetland.
Both Kangy Angy and Warnervale are on ‘high speed’ sections of straight railway track, that notwithstanding, no train in NSW crosses points at 80kph, as claimed on radio recently.
I do feel sorry for Mr MacDonald at times, being the nominated spokesperson for some very poor decisions, resulting from the failure of Sydney-centred bureaucrats to do even basic feasibility studies and options evaluation, and abject failure to effectively engage with members of the public most likely to be affected by government decisions.
Via Mr MacDonald, as Parliamentary Secretary, I publicly challenge Transport for NSW, Minister Andrew Constance and/or Premier Berejiklian, to provide evidence supporting their choice of site, including an operational plan and cost benefit analysis of the Kangy Angy site against the Warnervale site, and any other sites investigated.
Whether or not that public challenge is accepted, I have asked Mr MacDonald to advise whether there is any truth to the persistent rumour that the NSW government offered former Wyong Shire Council only around $1 million, were it forced to acquire the land via compulsory acquisition, but actually paid $17 million for the Kangy Angy Wetlands.
Email, Dec 4
Kevin Armstrong, Tumbi Umbi