The Albion Park Rail Bypass could have been put on hold for several years due in part to negotiations with Shellharbour City Council, according to an internal government document.
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This bombshell was contained in a suite of internal Roads and Maritime Services documents obtained by the Illawarra Mercury under a Freedom of Information request.
The documents relate to RMS negotiations with council over acquiring part of the Croome Road Sporting Complex for the Albion Park Rail Bypass.
The issue blew up in August when Kiama MP Gareth Ward claimed the council was “blackmailing” the government by dragging its feet on negotiations to push it into paying for a council road project.
That would be the Albion Park Bypass along Tripoli Way, which council is keen to see linked into the Albion Park Rail Bypass.
Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba has always refuted Mr Ward’s accusations.
However, a month earlier in July RMS staff were expressing concern that the Albion Park Rail Bypass may not go ahead.
“RMS are working towards commencing construction in early 2019,” the minutes stated.
“The program is getting very tight and additional hurdles create a risk of delaying the entire project.”
This statement in the minutes has been partially edited from the original version which stated these hurdles could create the risk of “RMS halting the project due to too many issues and delaying it until 2020, 2021”.
That would mean delaying the long-awaited project for as many as three years, given the current proposed start date for construction is 2019.
However, an RMS spokeswoman said work on the Albion Park Rail Bypass was on track.
“Through positive ongoing discussions with the council, preparation for the project has progressed and work on the sporting complex is on track to start next year,” the spokesman said.
“Work on the Albion Park Rail bypass is expected to start in early 2019.”
Council general manager Carey McIntyre said it had lodged a submission detailing concerns over the Albion Park Rail Bypass plan.
“In addition to the correspondence to the Department of Planning, council officers continue to meet and collaborate with RMS officers to work through some of the issues raised and facilitate the best possible outcome for the community,” Mr McIntyre said.
“Shellharbour City Council at their meeting of October 27, 2015, resolved to adopt an accelerated development program to enable delivery of Tripoli Way to coincide with the Albion Park Rail bypass.”
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
