Mr McCARTHY - 1998-12-01
My question relates to plans for the future of one of Darwin’s - and could I say one of the Territory’s? - more important roads. My understanding is that Tiger Brennan Drive is currently planned to be completed all the way through to Palmerston by about 2003. Is any consideration being given to accelerating these plans and bringing the completion date forward?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker,the honourable member is obviously well informed. There have recently been discussions with senior departmental officers about ways and means of bringing this important project forward. Obviously, it has a beneficial impact on the traffic flows in and around the Darwin region, and of course, the rural area which the honourable member represents. Construction of Tiger Brennan Drive between Berrimah and Palmerston is no small project. Estimates place the cost at around $40m. We may well be able to pick up a large portion of that cost from the Commonwealth under the roads of national importance program. Even so, it will still represent a substantial claim on the Territory budget.
I have asked officers to prepare a plan for staging the construction plans so that we can begin the job sooner, and I expect that those plans of evaluation will be available after Christmas. The problem in constructing Tiger Brennan Drive now from Berrimah Road to Palmerston is that we cannot stage it. Members would be aware that when we built Tiger Brennan Drive from the Darwin CBD, it stopped at Hook Road. Then we built it from Hook Road to Berrimah Road. Now we can build it from Berrimah Road to Tivendale Road, but that would not be of any great benefit, so we may have to complete the whole lot. We will not be able to stage it.
The project requires a number of bridges, including a bridge across Berrimah Road. We also talked about building a tunnel. It is no good getting people into the town quickly if you just have bottlenecks within the Darwin CBD itself. I should mention what is happening at the CBD end. Design plans are proceeding for a tunnel under McMinn Street and Frog Hollow, with Tiger Brennan Drive diverting up Barneson Street into the CBD. About $1m will be spent in the current financial year on site clearing and trunk service relocation works. Indeed, site clearing along Barneson Street is already under way.
Engineers will look at the issues creatively in terms of how we get from Berrimah Road to the new Palmerston bypass road. I’m sure members will be very interested in the progress we make on this very strategic road. It will be the main artery leading between the Darwin CBD and all points south. I will update them early in the new year as to the evaluation and also as regards to funding and our application to the Commonwealth to have this road designated as a road of national significance.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker,the honourable member is obviously well informed. There have recently been discussions with senior departmental officers about ways and means of bringing this important project forward. Obviously, it has a beneficial impact on the traffic flows in and around the Darwin region, and of course, the rural area which the honourable member represents. Construction of Tiger Brennan Drive between Berrimah and Palmerston is no small project. Estimates place the cost at around $40m. We may well be able to pick up a large portion of that cost from the Commonwealth under the roads of national importance program. Even so, it will still represent a substantial claim on the Territory budget.
I have asked officers to prepare a plan for staging the construction plans so that we can begin the job sooner, and I expect that those plans of evaluation will be available after Christmas. The problem in constructing Tiger Brennan Drive now from Berrimah Road to Palmerston is that we cannot stage it. Members would be aware that when we built Tiger Brennan Drive from the Darwin CBD, it stopped at Hook Road. Then we built it from Hook Road to Berrimah Road. Now we can build it from Berrimah Road to Tivendale Road, but that would not be of any great benefit, so we may have to complete the whole lot. We will not be able to stage it.
The project requires a number of bridges, including a bridge across Berrimah Road. We also talked about building a tunnel. It is no good getting people into the town quickly if you just have bottlenecks within the Darwin CBD itself. I should mention what is happening at the CBD end. Design plans are proceeding for a tunnel under McMinn Street and Frog Hollow, with Tiger Brennan Drive diverting up Barneson Street into the CBD. About $1m will be spent in the current financial year on site clearing and trunk service relocation works. Indeed, site clearing along Barneson Street is already under way.
Engineers will look at the issues creatively in terms of how we get from Berrimah Road to the new Palmerston bypass road. I’m sure members will be very interested in the progress we make on this very strategic road. It will be the main artery leading between the Darwin CBD and all points south. I will update them early in the new year as to the evaluation and also as regards to funding and our application to the Commonwealth to have this road designated as a road of national significance.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016