I am delighted to welcome the announcement that yet another missing link in Sydney's motorway network will be delivered by the O'Farrell Government. Last week I was delighted to take a call from the Premier, who informed me that the NorthConnex Motorway, that long talked about and long sought after connecting road, the missing link—the link between the M1, formerly the F3, and the M2—will finally be built.
This will be a game changer in the lives of thousands of residents in my community who for so long have had to face the horrific congestion and unsafe conditions on Pennant Hills Road, including B-double trucks ripping down the road. Enough is enough.
This project has been talked about for years and, finally, a Liberal Government is delivering it for the people of my community—a community that for too long was forgotten by the Labor Government. Last week the New South Wales Government reached an agreement with Transurban and the Westlink M7 shareholders to deliver the NorthConnex Motorway, which will see twin nine-kilometre tunnels link the M1 and M2 under busy Pennant Hills Road. The deal was announced after months of hard work to clear design and finance hurdles, and after years of advocacy and lobbying by local residents who are sick of the unacceptable conditions on Pennant Hills Road. An expressway link from Sydney to Newcastle was first talked about in 1951 in the original county of Cumberland plan. Today, in 2014, that vision is finally becoming a reality.
When I stood for office I made a commitment to my community that I would do all within my power to fight for a solution to the problem of Pennant Hills Road. I am proud to have been an advocate for this great outcome and to have delivered on yet another commitment. I, along with my Federal colleagues Philip Ruddock, MP, the member for Berowra, and Paul Fletcher, MP, the member for Bradfield, formed the Missing Link Action Group. The aim of the group was to lobby the Government for a better deal for our community. This result will show the residents of Hornsby what a strong Liberal voice can achieve in a Liberal Government. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable leadership of the Premier and Minister for Roads and Ports, the Hon. Duncan Gay, both of whom listened to representations about the needs of my community and acted. I am thrilled with this result and on behalf of my electorate I thank them for their efforts in making it possible.
NorthConnex is the third missing link in Sydney's motorway network to be delivered by the Liberal-Nationals Government. We are already fixing the M4 and M5 through WestConnex, and the M5 West Widening project is now half complete. NorthConnex will provide great relief to motorists and residents travelling through Sydney's north to the Central Coast or the Hunter region by taking 5,000 trucks a day off Pennant Hills Road. Up to 80,000 trucks use Pennant Hills Road every day of the week, so this proposal will provide great relief for those people who live in the immediate vicinity, particularly those motorists who travel along that road every day of the week.
Vehicles using the tunnel will bypass 21 sets of traffic lights and reduce their journey times by up to 15 minutes. We are building for the future by constructing the tunnel with the capability for three lanes of traffic each way and at a height of 5.3 metres to ensure that over-height trucks do not block the road network. As I said earlier, this project has been talked about for decades and has now become a reality. A preferred scheme and a preferred tenderer have now been chosen. Following a competitive process, the preferred tender to design and construct the motorway is a joint venture between Lend Lease and Bouygues. The project will now go out for the next stage of community consultation and a formal environmental impact statement, which is expected to be on display for comment by the middle of the year. This is the final stage of the process before construction can be approved. Subject to planning approval, construction on the project could start within 12 months and see 2,000 new jobs created by completion in 2019.
In our first term of government the New South Wales Liberals and Nationals are getting on with the job of delivering the transport infrastructure that Sydney needs and deserves, having committed to the WestConnex and NorthConnex motorways, the North West Rail Link, the M5 West Widening project, and the CBD and South East Light Rail. As I said earlier, this announcement is a game changer for my community. It was first talked about in 1951 and now, in 2014, we are finally delivering on something that is critical to the amenity, character, safety and lifestyle of those living in northern Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter region. I again thank the Government for its efforts in making this possible and I am proud of my advocacy in achieving this outcome.
