Authorities In Road Rage

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday August 24, 2005

By DAMON CRONSHAW and MATTHEW KELLY

THE Roads and Traffic Authority has been accused of sitting on $4 million in federal emergency money that was set aside for the upgrade of the New England Highway at Halcombe Hill, near Aberdeen.

An 18-year-old woman was incinerated at the notorious stretch at 9.30 on Monday night when the semitrailer in which she was a passenger smashed into a concrete barrier.

The rig, laden with metal plate, was travelling towards Tamworth. It slid along the barrier for about 40 metres before rolling. Sparks from the sliding rig ignited the diesel fuel tanks.

The driver, a 31-year-old Tamworth man, escaped. There was nothing fire and emergency crews could do to save the woman.

The highway was not reopened until early yesterday afternoon.

The driver was released from Muswellbrook Hospital yesterday morning. He returned to his parent's house in Tamworth and crash investigators are yet to formally interview him.

The crash was the latest in a long line of accidents on the treacherous section of road.

The Federal Government announced funding for a permanent upgrade and the temporary concrete barrier and other improvements in February 2004, five months after a horrific crash.

The accident claimed the lives of four members of the Wykniet family: parents Ronald, 39, and Cecelia, 41, and their daughters Sarah, 7, and Bridget, 4.

In the May 2004 federal budget, former transport minister John Anderson allocated $5 million to be spent on the upgrade by June 2005. The RTA, a state authority, was to do the work.

NSW Treasury figures show that the RTA allocated the $5 million for the upgrade in 2004-05.

But only $1 million was spent in that financial year, the figures show. The upgrade was meant to be finished in 2006.

An RTA spokesman said the NSW Government had not received $5 million for this project.

"While the Federal Government committed $5 million in its 2004-05 budget, the RTA is required to enter a formal approval process for any of this funding to be released.

"The RTA submitted its preferred option for the realignment of the carriageway to the Federal Government in February 2005. Approval was received at the end of June. "A total of $2.2 million has been spent to date."

The RTA has allocated $10 million for the project for this financial year.

Upper Hunter MP George Souris said the RTA was way behind schedule.

He had not been consulted about final plans for the upgrade. Nor had Upper Hunter Shire Council.

Mayor Barry Rose said the upgrade should be done urgently before further lives were lost.

Police are investigating whether fatigue was a factor in the accident but the investigation could take several months.

? A truck driver was taken to hospital last night after his vehicle tipped over on the Golden Highway near Merriwa.

Editorial

Page 8

© 2005 Newcastle Herald

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