After facing pressure in Parliament from Liberal Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres, the Keneally Labor Government’s Minister for Roads has admitted that his feasibility study into Victoria Bridge is running anywhere up to one month behind schedule.
Since being elected Mr Ayres has fought for the bridge’s upgrade. Mr Ayres met with the Victoria Bridge Taskforce, appointed an independent chair, made several representations to the Minister, delivered a Private Member’s Statement on the issue, and questioned the Minister for details on the progress of the feasibility study Labor promised to the voters of Penrith in the June 19 by-election.
”The Minister has already restricted the scope of the feasibility study to only one of the many upgrade options,” Mr Ayres said today.
”Surely you would expect the results of the study then to arrive sooner rather than later.”
”Minister Borger has gone from telling us we’d get the results in October[1] to telling us they’re coming by ‘no later than November’[2] – I’m pretty sure that if we weren’t putting all this pressure on him he’d be more than content with letting it sail from Christmas right through to the other side of the next election.
”I’m fighting for the bridge because I don’t want to see it becoming another Erskine Park Link Road – an example of the lights, camera and no action approach taken by the Keneally Labor Government on local infrastructure projects.
”The prompt completion of a feasibility study must happen so we can finally get to the point where a decision can be made on how to best address the safety issues along Victoria Bridge.”
[1] Penrith City Star, ‘Decision on walkway is just around the corner, 16 September 2010
[2] Hansard, NSW Legislative Assmbly, Questions on Notic 11695, Stuart Ayres
