Infrastructure and Transport Services
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Thursday 4 June 2026
CHAIR – Minister, I could have perhaps asked this in 2.1, but I thought I’d save it for capital investment. You’ll know what’s coming: the Cam River Bridge. I’m talking about traffic congestion. The old Cooee crawl doesn’t get any better. We had some recent survey works being done on the new bridge or some works being done and just worst possible day it could have occurred. There was no communication. It occurred on the first day of school, and the result was inevitable and the phone calls were continual.
Minister, where are we at with the review or whatever we’re going to call it into the duplication of the Cam River Bridge or finding alternative solutions there?
Mr VINCENT – As you’re aware, when the review came back it was difficult to do or wasn’t required. I asked for a further analysis of setting up a bypass there. I travelled up the road to the other connecting road. I can’t remember what it was called.
CHAIR – You went to Oonah Road?
Mr VINCENT – I went to Oonah Road.
CHAIR – Which was closed this whole time as well because of a flood event.
Mr VINCENT – We acknowledge that some errors were made in doing the work that day. That’s one out-of-the-box.
The work on the bypass solution I believe has not started yet.
Ms HEYDON – No.
CHAIR – Acknowledging the topographical and geographical challenge.
Mr VINCENT – Yes. I’ll ask the deputy secretary for a little bit more information on that. I think it is proceeding in the first half of the next financial year, so not far away –
CHAIR – In 2026‑27.
Mr VINCENT – but I will ask for clarification on that timeline, please.
Ms HEYDON – Minister, I know that work has not commenced. It is in our schedule for commencing in the latter half of this year. That’s to look at a potential bypass option as opposed to a second bridge which the survey had found wasn’t warranted, but we are going to look at a potential bypass option through Cooee through to Doctors Rocks.
Mr VINCENT – So, that’ll be proceeding – did you confirm that?
Ms HEYDON – It is on the schedule for the second half of this calendar year, or the start of next financial year.
CHAIR – We look forward to that and you can expect me to follow it up during the year, minister, to see how it’s going.