The Labor Party has pledged to invest $30m in an upgrade of Avoca Dr at Kincumber if elected on May 21, but Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, remains sceptical about the logistics of the promise.
Avoca Dr has long been known as a pinch point in the daily commute for Coast residents.
Labor says its commitment will fund both planning and construction of the upgrade, which would be carried out in close consultation with the NSW Government.
Candidate for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid, was joined by Deputy Leader, Richard Marles, and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Catherine King, in making the announcement on April 20.
“While the planning process will determine the exact works to be undertaken, it could include a widening of the road between the Carrak Rd and Killuna Rd intersections as well as creating a safer road for pedestrians and cyclists,” Reid said.
“Not only will this project create local jobs in the construction phase, it will deliver a better life for working families across the Central Coast, allowing locals to get more quickly and safely to work, the shops, school or weekend sport.”
Marles said investments like this make a real difference for communities, creating a better built environment for businesses and the community alike.
King said Labor’s infrastructure investments are about delivering safer, easier commutes to working families across Australia.
“That is exactly what this investment will do right here on the Central Coast,” she said.
Reid said residents are always raising road congestion as one of the key issues affecting their daily lives.
“This investment is a big win for our community, meaning locals can spend more time at home and less time stuck in traffic,” he said.
Wicks said the Liberal Party would have more to say on its road funding plans in coming weeks.
“We have a very strong track record in upgrading multiple roads,” she said.
“In relation to Labor’s costings (on the Avoca Dr upgrade), I would be keen to see the details.
“Costings need to be properly done and you need to be able to collaborate and ensure that what you cost is able to be delivered.
“Labor promises a lot – we always deliver what we say we will.”
Terry Collins
The plans for the widening of Avoca Drive, were completed 20years ago. The RTA back then, purchased the road frontage of Frost Reserve from Council, and the community made sure that the purchase price was paid to Kincumber funding A/c, rather than general revenue.
Words from the mouth of Ms Wicks “we always deliver what we say we will”. Who are you kidding Ms Wicks? Your government has one of the worst track records of “All Say and No Do”. Everything under the sun promised with an upcoming election – and then afterwards, virtually nothing delivered. Perhaps Ms Wicks should choose her words more carefully next time she wants to do a bit of bragging.
Can’t wait for Lucy’s announcement. I’m pretty sure that it will be the first one in 10 years about upgrading Avoca Drive. There is a another article in the CC News that should be linked to this to this one, “liberals-criticise-labors-30m-pledge-for-avoca-dr-upgrade, https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2022/04/liberals-criticise-labors-30m-pledge-for-avoca-dr-upgrade/
My comments on that article are below:
Lucy Wicks is right – “Residents in Kincumber” do deserve better, and Adam Crouch (NSW Parliamentary secretary for the Central Coast) should have done his research and actual sourced some “local knowledge” before he commented. As a life-long resident of the Kincumber area, I thought I had better share some local knowledge – The stretch of Avoca Drive from Saratoga-Greenpoint Roundabout to Frost Reserve Kincumber is dis-affectionately known by “Locals” as “Crouch’s Crawl” or “Wicks’ Waiting Room” in honour of our Liberal State & Federal MPs, Adam Crouch and Lucy Wicks. We think about their inaction and their silence on fixing this road in the nearly 2 hours a day that it takes to commute along this 5 km stretch of road in peak hour, especially when we are paying above $2 a litre for fuel. I was completely amazed & disgusted with Adam Crouch’s comments. Amazed in that, this is the most we have heard from him about Avoca Dr in 10 years in the NSW Government. Based on the Avoca Drive oral history or “Local Knowledge” (as referred to by Adam Crouch) the land was resumed to widen Avoca Drive, by the RTA under NSW Labor Governments in the 1980’s/1990’s, work was completed on the Saratoga/Greenpoint section around the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Around 2008/2009, the residents of Greenpoint, Kincumber, Saratoga, Bensville, Empire, McMasters Beach, Avoca were asked, by the RTA, to vote on the next section of Avoca Drive to be upgraded – the Greenpoint-Erina end won the vote, the NSW State Labor work commenced work which was completed in 2011/2012 around the time that the NSW Liberal Government was elected. Since that time, it’s 11 years since 2011, there has been absolutely no action by the NSW Liberal Government to upgrade Avoca Drive, nor has the Federal Liberal Government (electeCan d in 2013) taken any interest in this stretch of road. Now you can see why this stretch of Avoca Drive is dis-affectionately known by “Locals” as “Crouch’s Crawl” or “Wicks’ Waiting Room” in honour of our Liberal State & Federal MPs, Adam Crouch and Lucy Wicks. Our former Liberal members, Chris Hartcher – State member & Jim Lloyd were vocal representatives on the need to upgrade this road, unfortunately Adam Crouch & Lucy Wicks (even after 10 years in their respective State and Federal Governments) have done and said nothing to improve this road. What’s even more disappointing is that Adam Crouch is being paid extra to be the “Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast”. What’s worse is Adam’s decision to merge Gosford and Wyong Council into Central Coast Council, ensuring that the problems of Avoca Drive was totally removed as a priority for the Central Coast. Adam, better a Labor announcement then following on from you and having no announcements, except to criticise Labor for your total lack of action on fixing Avoca Drive. However, I will give Adam credit for fixing the southern approach (Empire Bay Drive) to ”Crouch’s Crawl” at “Lavender Bends”. Work started just before the 2019 NSW State election, and this work dragged on for about 2 years – must have been paying the contractors by the hour. Bit more local knowledge for you, we call that part of Empire Bay Drive “Lavender Bends” because if you breathe too deeply, you’ll get a wif of the Sewer Treatment Works which smells just like a politician’s promise. Looking forward to Lucy Wicks announcing that she will finish the construction of Avoca Drive if she gets elected again.
https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2022/04/liberals-criticise-labors-30m-pledge-for-avoca-dr-upgrade/
Too often forgotten, roads in pocket communities are in urgent need of attention. Moves to fix and rebuilt Rickard Road, Empire Bay, are welcome.