Proponents argue data used to reject project is out of date
Civil Contractors Federation of South Australia (CCFSA) has formed an alliance with Port Augusta City Council to call on both governments to commit to funding an upgrade of Yorkey Crossing Road near Port Augusta.
After years of attention-raising on the issue failed to budge state and federal governments, the two organisations have pooled resources in the hope a united front will give their efforts added heft.
The state government has consistently stated that the amount of traffic means the cost of sealing the road, also know and Yorkeys and Yorkey’s, around Port Augusta cannot be justified but CCFSA CEO Paul Sutherland counters that its information is out of date.
“The SA Government is relying on a traffic survey conducted six years ago as an excuse not to seal Yorkey’s,” Sutherland says.
“It’s ridiculous. Traffic has not only increased, but vehicles are now larger and heavier.
“Also, the number of military vehicles using the road has grown with the expansion of the Cultana Military Base, which has doubled in size in recent years.”
The CCFSA has put the case, which has gained support from the SA Road Transport Association, before but now Port Augusta mayor Sam Johnson had added his voice to the effort.
“South Australia is currently branding itself as the doorway to Australia. Unfortunately, with Yorkey Crossing Road we have a glaring example of critically strategic road transport infrastructure that doesn’t measure up to this expectation,” Johnson says.
“Our community is quite rightly outraged that we have a strategically important road that is not seen as a priority by both our state government and federal government.
“Port Augusta Council enthusiastically joins with the Civil Contractors Federation in calling for Yorkey Crossing Road to be upgraded and bituminised.
“By putting Yorkey’s on the back burner, all that is being achieved is a false economy.
“The economic return on investment in sealing this road would be significant.
“This would start with the construction phase which would generate much needed jobs and local business activity.
“The completed road would then provide ongoing economic stimulus by giving freight transport operators, and other users, a safe, efficient and all weather transport corridor.”