South Coast Alliance throws support behind bolstered advocacy for ‘substantive’ South Coast Highway upgrades

Four Great Southern local governments will use their collective voice as the South Coast Alliance to proactively advocate for funding to improve South Coast Highway. The 592km road connecting Walpole to Esperance via Denmark, Albany, Jerramungup and Ravensthorpe has previously been labelled a dangerous workplace because of its poor condition and infrequent overtaking lanes. The SCA, which is made up of representation from the City of Albany as well as the shires of Plantagenet, Denmark and Jerramungup, formally decided on Friday it would focus its advocacy for upgrades to the road. It came after a multi-part report was prepared, examining the road upgrade needs for the region. Members of the alliance voted in favour of recommendations that the SCA’s advocacy should be focused on “substantive improvements to the South Coast Highway between Albany and Esperance”. SCA chair Jon Oldfield said the report had examined the needs of other roads in the region, including the need for additional lanes on Albany Highway, but the group decided it would be in a stronger position with focused advocacy. “The one that’s really stood out as needing work was South Coast Highway from Albany to Esperance,” he said. “Apparently there was money allocated to it from Infrastructure Australia some time ago, but nothing has ever happened — so I’m not sure where that is at.” The SCA also voted in favour of a recommendation to provide part of the report to the Great Southern Regional Roads group because it “may contain general information that is of use and provides detail on State Roads that may also be of interest”. A final recommendation outlines the alliance will make road advocacy an electoral priority. To do that representatives from the group will seek support by providing its report to and meeting Main Roads Great Southern and seek the support of the GSRR group in order to speak with “one voice”. Support from the Transport Minister will also be sought through the tabling of an advocacy document that aims to progress a business case for upgrades “along the entire length” of the South Coast highway, previously costed at $650 million. Mr Oldfield said the report had identified that interruptions on the highway posed a risk to the region’s economy because “you’ve got to drive a long way to get to Esperance any other way”. “Grain production in the region is increasing quite quickly because farmers are getting better at it,” he said. “So there is a lot more grain going on that road, both to Esperance from the Lakes District and from as far out as Jacup into Albany. “You probably attract more tourists to the south coast as well if we improve that road.” Mr Oldfield said the SCA would step up its advocacy following this year’s local government elections and that the State and Federal governments would likely have to work together to fund any upgrades. He said South Coast Highway had “always been a problem” and the collective voice of the SCA was vitally important if a push for funding was to secured. “Most funding is given out on a region basis now,” he said. “No one shire gets substantive funding without it benefiting a wider region.”