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Collapse Issue 415 - 20 Mar 2017Issue 415 - 20 Mar 2017
Collapse  NEWS NEWS
Liberals 'knew of rail costs' before election, Tesch claims
Gosford Council assets reduced by $1.4 billion
Gosford accounts referred for external audit
Jilly Pilon is Liberal candidate
Citizen of the Year stands for Christian party
Holstein will not run in by-election
Taskforce asks for infrastructure commitments
Chamber disappointed with Liberal selection
Labor challenges Liberals over 'abandoned' electorate
Patonga to hold Easter Saturday fete
Teenager airlifted after crash
Water main upgrade
Village development to go before Council administrator
Anzac ceremony at Empire Bay
Council brings library fees
Community forum about access to doctors
Community plants out new Runway playground
Volunteers' ladders go missing
Man charged following shooting
Twice the month's average rainfall already
Collapse  FORUM FORUM
Community event was not for neutral voters
Let's leave the beach for the grand kids to play safely
Won't see ferry in my lifetime ... still
Produce the money and the boats
Has Brisbane Water plan been 'disapproved'?
I thought fast ferry nonsense had died years ago
Dredge should not be privately owned
Does dredging proposal means change in Coastal Plan?
Use CCTV and speed cameras on jetski cowboys
Old surf club members come to luncheon
Senior staff and councillors should be held accountable
Would Crouch promise everything and deliver nothing?
Will government commit to railway underpass?
Library decision doesn't inspire confidence
Collapse  HEALTH HEALTH
Non-invasive brain treatment for depression
Free hearing checks in Woy Woy
Presentation on suicide prevention
Tesch meets nurses and health workers
Support for Melanoma March
Choir performs at shopping centre
Collapse  ARTS ARTS
Patonga artist in epilepsy art auction
Duo sing at folk club
Collapse  EDUCATION EDUCATION
Steve Collins leaves Woy Woy South
Splash-a-thon postponed due to the wet
Mental health first aid project launched
Tidying up their school
Harmony Day activities planned
Student leaders attend leaders' day
Collapse  NEWS NEWS
Liberals endorse businesswoman mother of three
Collapse  EDUCATION EDUCATION
Science experiments at Umina
Executive team holds planning day
Visit to Turo Park
Swimming team competes
Collapse  SPORT SPORT
Surf club celebrates 85th anniversary
Training starts for Junior Swans
Excellent results in national judo tournament
Ocean Beach members win bronze
Junior judo players compete at Castle Hill
Triples carnival resumes at Umina
Bridge club holds autumn pairs

Liberals 'knew of rail costs' before election, Tesch claims

The Liberal Government was aware of the escalating costs of the Woy Woy railway underpass before the 2015 State election, according documents secured by the Labor Party under Freedom of Information legislation.

The estimates showed construction costs had escalated from $52 million to $112 million to complete the project.

However, the Government kept quiet about the estimates until after the election, when it used them "as an excuse to scrap the project", according to Labor candidate Ms Liesl Tesch.

The Labor Party had obtained hundreds of pages of documents, emails, minutes of meetings and payment claims under Freedom of Information legislation, she said.

"According to the documents, the State Government was made aware of the increased costs associated with the project on multiple occasions prior to the 2015 State Election.

"In October last year, the former Minister for Roads, Mr Duncan Gay, claimed it was the former Gosford Council that had not adequately costed the project or informed the Government of the cost blowouts, despite numerous emails and documents suggesting otherwise," she said.

The documents revealed that Central Coast Council had continued to receive funding for ongoing work on the project.

By October 2016, the expenditure breakdown was roughly $4.1 million for project management and consultancy fees; $5.8 million on the pedestrian underpass and adjacent road and footpath work and $5.3 million on preparatory works for the rail underpass and road construction at the base of Bulls Hill.

"Total expenditure to date is in the vicinity of $15.2 million," the documents revealed.

According to Ms Tesch, it was current NSW Premier, Ms Gladys Berejiklian, who botched the project when she was Transport Minister, by adopting a "head-in-the-sand" approach to its true cost.

"This reveals a scandal," Ms Tesch said.

"These documents reveal a State Liberal Government that have shown complete disregard for the Central Coast.

"It hasn't shown or applied the slightest bit of care or attention for the Central Coast.

"Premier Berejiklian has overseen massive spending on Sydney-centric projects and is happy to bury her head in the sand when it comes funding our local infrastructure.

"The Liberal candidate for Gosford needs to make a commitment to cleaning up the mess left behind by the Premier," she said.

Liberal candidate for Gosford, Ms Jilly Pilon, has claimed the $52 million promised by the NSW Government for the railway underpass was still available.

However, she said the Council would need to find the remainder of the money to complete the now $112 million project.





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