Archive, Industry News

Urunga tragedy a political football again

Mud thrown thick and fast only two weeks after accident claims two lives and puts Pacific Highway debate into spotlight

January 20, 2012

The risk that the Urunga tragedy might be dragged once more into being used for political purposes has come to fruition.

The collision between a ute and a truck that cost the lives of two people, one a boy in his bedroom, had threatened to become political at the time,
when the Bellingen Mayor Mark Troy was quoted as saying he had lobbied to reinstate a speed camera after it was deactivated during a review of all such cameras.

State Labor roads spokesman Robert Furolo then accused the NSW Government of “negligence” over the matter, despite a driving error by the ute driver, rather than speed, beilng the likely cause of the accident.

Hopes that this aspect of the debate had passed were dashed yesterday when, Andrew Fraser, a state National Party foe of independent federal MP and former Nationals politician
Rob Oakeshott and the Federal Government of colluding to shift funding from the Pacific Highway to the Oxley Highway in Oakeshott’s electorate.

Both Oakeshott and federal infrastructure Mininster Anthony Albanese rejected the accusation.

Previous ArticleNext Article
  1. Australian Truck Radio Listen Live
Send this to a friend