Legislative Council, Thursday 20 June 2024 

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to the $1 million allocated for capital investment on tracks in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area (APCA) in the 2023-24 Budget, including the $900,000 referred to in The Advocate on 21 June 2023, by the minister, Mr Jaensch, for road maintenance in the area -

How much of this allocation has been spent today, broken down by amounts spent on each track, including but not limited to: West Point Road, Bluff Hill Point Road, Bluff Hill Point, Lighthouse Road, Nelson Bay Road, Sarah Anne Rocks Road, Couta Rocks Road and Balfour Road? 

ANSWER

Mr President, $10 million was allocated to the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area and West Coast Off Road Vehicle Project over four years, with $1 million allocated in the 2023-24 financial year. Of the total project budget, $900,000 was apportioned to repair and upgrade the gravel shack node roads, which the Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) is responsible for in the APCA. The aim of the shack node roads works was to improve road user safety, address road user concerns regarding the road surface, improve drainage from the road surface and edges, and create a more durable road surface to reduce maintenance. Works on the shack node roads included re-sheeting and reprofiling where necessary to the listed road class standards, with the addition of compacted specified road base and the installation of drainage or culverts as required. In addition to the roads noted in the question, Airey's Drive resurfacing was approved and included in the works.

The specific amount spent on each road is difficult to break down, given works of the specific nature were aggregated and allocated to single contractors. Indicative costs were as follows:

• Engineering consultant, preparation of assessment reports and scope specifications for recommended works, including safety and road signage for the shacks node road networks - $32,600

• Drainage works - initial drain clearing works to the road network, followed by the new or replacement drainage installation with upgrades to Balfour Road, materials and drainage - drainage pipes products costs were $15,200, and the contractor works were $22,000.

• Vegetation clearing across the road network was required for traffic line of sight and road renewal works - $19,757.

• Materials, gravel supply and cartage from the Arthur River and Smithton Quarries was approximately $245,500. Sub grade and resurfacing gravels were supplied for all of the shack node roads, Balfour Road and Aries [?] Road.

• Road grading and resurfacing was contracted to two local contractors, splitting the northern and the southern sections of road works for efficiency of costs, program and local contractor capacity. The northern section, including West Point, Bluff Hill and Aireys roads - costs were $76,200. The southern section, including Nelson Bay, Sarah Anne and Couta Rocks Roads - costs were $87,640.

• Replacement of Cassiterite Bridge [TBC 3:05:19] on the Balfour Road cost $195,000, noting that these bridge works are currently underway and scheduled for completion at the end of June 2024.

• PWS project management, site supervision and support work - costs estimated at $38,000.

The total cost as described above is $731,897. The majority of works were completed in the 2023-24 financial year.

Works outstanding are road signage manufacture and installation across all shack node roads and the final Balfour Road resurfacing works. Funding of $168,103 remains in the project budget for these works to be completed and for the repair of any defects detected after the winter period.

Ms Forrest - Mr President, can I just make a positive comment about the Leader's office? I only sent those through earlier this week. I expected to have a delay in getting them because of the nature of the data requested, so I am very appreciative of that.

Mrs HISCUTT - Thank you for the compliment.