Industry groups hail Tanami Road sealing investment as proof
Amid the billions of dollars being spent on city infrastructure, a relatively small amount is set to go a long way in northern Australia.
The federal Budget announcement of $75 million in Roads of Strategic Importance funding for the Tanami Road from Halls Creek to Alice Springs demonstrates the national leadership role the transport industry can take on major strategic economic enabling projects.
That is the message from NT Road Transport Association (NTRTA) and Western Roads Federation (WRF).
“Sealing the Tanami has been a long term aspiration of Western Australian and Northern Territory governments, communities, businesses and transport industry,” they point out.
Their issue in the past has been that advocacy has been fragmented across multiple interest groups.
“The reduction of the journey between the south east and north west by around 1,100km will deliver business growth, and support the transport industry which services this vast nation and our military that keeps us safe,” former CEO of the Transport Forum WA Debra Goostrey, who now lives and works in Kimberley, says.
This is not the first time the NTRTA and WRF and its predecessor have worked together but their most recet effort has seen the net cast wider.
Read about WA and NT advocacy on the Tanami Road, here
“NT Road Transport Association and Western Roads Federation initiatives to engage and collaborate with the Kimberley Regional Group coordinating a joint advocacy plan left no room for doubt in Canberra that the Tanami is a Road of Strategic Importance,” the industry bodies say.
“The Kimberley Regional Group represents the four Shires in the region.
“This united industry and government approach has achieved the promise of significant investment in a critical piece of infrastructure for the NT and WA but to create certainty it is essential that these monies start flowing in 2019-2020, not in five-years’ time.
“The NT Road Transport Association and Western Roads Federation are fully committed to taking a leadership role with the assistance of the shires, local business groups and communities to the Tanami Road.
“The funding on the table towards sealing the Tanami Road is but one step towards an integrated freight and Defence logistics plan that NTRTA and WRF have in development for Northern and Central Australia.
“A vision that helps grow the economy and freight task opportunities for our members. “