Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor and State Member for Goulburn Pru Goward have released a 20 year blueprint for the Barton Highway.

Mr Taylor said the “Barton Highway Draft Improvement Strategy” had been prepared in partnership between the Australian and NSW governments and was the culmination of months of consultation with stakeholders, particularly the local community.

“It gives us the hard facts we need to get action on the Barton. The focus now is getting on with building the recommended new overtaking lanes towards staged duplication,” Mr Taylor said.

Mr Taylor welcomed the strategy’s recommendation that short term investment priorities include four new overtaking lanes across two sections of the highway - just north of Murrumbateman village and between Valencia Drive and the ACT border (p140).

He said short term goals also included the upgrading of a number of intersections namely, but not limited to, McIntosh Circuit (in progress), Euroka Avenue, Nanima Road, Hillview Drive and Vallencia Drive (p140), for the safer movement of vehicles on and off the highway into side roads.

Member for Goulburn Pru Goward said traffic data collected for the strategy clearly showed traffic volumes through Murrumbateman village and south of Murrumbateman were between 11,000 and 12,000 vehicles per day (p82).

“The strategy shows the average casualty crash rate over the whole Barton Highway between 2009 and 2013 was 0.37 crashes per kilometre, which is about double the average crash rate of 0.195 for similarly rated 4R rural roads. (p69) It’s also considerably higher than the NSW average. (p79) Now we need to take up the priorities identified in the strategy to start making the road a lot safer,” she said.

Mr Taylor and Ms Goward announced in March 2015 that the Federal Government would commit up to $12 million and the NSW Government would commit $3 million for short term safety works towards staged duplication of the highway.

Ms Goward said the community was being encouraged to comment on the draft strategy’s investment priorities.

“Advertisements are being placed in local newspapers inviting community input and postcards are being sent to all businesses and households in the Yass, Murrumbateman and Hall districts. Postcards will also be delivered to councils and tourism offices,” Ms Goward said.

The Barton Highway Draft Improvement Strategy is now open for further public comment for a four week period from Monday 26 October 2015 to Friday 27 November 2015.

To download the draft strategy visit http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/south-western/barton-highway/index.html

To provide feedback or comments, please:

• Make a submission on the Roads and Maritime Services website www.rms.nsw.gov.au
• Email bartonfeedback@rms.nsw.gov.au
• Call 02 6938 1107
• Write to Barton Highway Improvement Strategy, PO Box 484, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

Submissions close at 5pm Friday, 27 November 2015.

For more information visit Roads and Maritime Services website www.rms.nsw.gov.au