Gladys Berejiklian’s pledge to build the tunnel falls short
PRO-TUNNEL campaigner Peter Papas wants to see more progress on Beaches Link and is urging Premier Gladys Berejiklian to stick to her promise.
Mosman
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DAYS before the North Shore by-election last year Premier Gladys Berejiklian signed a guarantee with the community.
She put her name to a giant poster stating that the Beaches Link tunnel would start by 2019.
The latest development on the tunnel has seen $556 million being set aside for tunnel pre-construction and planning over the next four years.
But Peter Papas, co-founder of the pro-tunnel organisation Sensible Traffic Action Group (STAG), would have liked more progress on the multi-billion project.
He brought out the banner the Premier signed to make his point.
“I’m encouraged that things are continuing to move in the right direction but it’s short of what the Premier’s political pledge was with the people of NSW,” Mr Papas said.
“The point of that meeting and that exercise was for the Premier to put her reputation and trust on the line.
“The pledge was to contractually commit to building the tunnel.”
Mr Papas said STAG will continue to monitor the State Government’s moves and will lobby the general public in the run up to the election next year.
He believes if the promise is broken again on this issue, the Liberal party would be un-electable in its state heartland.
“There won’t be a lack of independent candidates willing to run on this issue alone,” he said.
“There is a strong resentment in this community of the electorate being taken for granted.”
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A spokeswoman for the NSW Government said that Labor has stated repeatedly that it would cancel the project.
“Only the NSW Liberals and Nationals will deliver this project as we believe it is vitally important … for the wider road network.”