Minister says Opposition on wrong track over Binnu Road

10/11/00
Transport Minister Murray Criddle said today the Labor Opposition's hysteria about the $2 million Binnu Road project in the Mid-West underlined their appalling lack of understanding about rural economics.
"Alannah MacTiernan's extraordinary attack on this community project is an insult to the scores of farmers and residents in the Northampton district who put in countless hours of voluntary time helping to build the road," Mr Criddle said.
"The Binnu West and Binnu East Roads were designed and constructed by the Shire of Northampton (to agreed Main Roads standards) and was one of 36 projects around the State announced under the TransformWA program in April 1998.
"The Shire of Northampton's construction workforce was strongly supported by local contractors, farm owners and employees, with around 20 volunteers providing trucks, labour, gravel and water.
"I had the privilege of opening this project in June this year at a special function at the Binnu Community Hall.
"It might interest the Opposition to know that the community is exceptionally proud of its achievement.
"This was a self-help program by a shire and a community that got off their backsides and did something about one of their most important grain haulage and local roads.
"Funding for this project was announced by the former Minister for Transport on April 13, 1998 with $1.12 million being confirmed in the Premier's Budget statement on April 30, 1998," he said.
Mr Criddle said that the road carried up to 60,000 tonnes of grain each year to Binnu which was one of the State's largest off-rail grain receival points.
"Alannah MacTiernan's strange rationale that the road was somehow built to benefit my farming property has caused a few belly laughs around the district," he said.
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