Big response to Perth-Darwin highway study

27/3/00
Transport Minister Murray Criddle said today that more than 200 public submissions had been received by Main Roads on the Perth-Darwin National Highway (PDNH) alignment selection study.
The study started in 1997 and was conducted over a 70km area between Maralla Road, south of Bullsbrook and Calingari Road, north of Bindoon.
Mr Criddle said the Coalition Government needed to identify a general corridor for the future highway while considering a number of social, environmental, economic and planning factors.
"We have had valuable community input on the alignment issue but we do not intend to make a decision on the corridor immediately," he said.
"Planning in the area is currently being undertaken by the Ministry for Planning through the North East Corridor Extension Strategy. That draft strategy is currently being prepared and is expected to be released for public comment in mid-2000.
"We plan to hold off making the final decision on the highway alignment until later this year. By then we will have looked at our public submissions in the context of the broader long-term planning for the North East Corridor."
Mr Criddle said the Perth-Darwin Highway alignment selection study was a key preliminary step in precisely defining the location of the highway and determining the exact road reservation width required.
"This phase of the planning process will involve extensive consultation with individual property owners to minimise impacts on existing development and future land uses," he said.
Mr Criddle said funding issues for the project had yet to be resolved and no start date had been set for the highway.
Media contact: Doug Cunningham 9321 7333