Budget gives 'more' money for lower-cost carpark
The Federal Budget has included "an additional $8.2 million to deliver the commuter car park upgrade at Woy Woy station", according to Member for Robertson Ms Lucy Wicks.
"This funding is on top of the $35 million we already have on the table for commuter parking at Gosford and Woy Woy stations."
However, the cost of constructing the car park appears to have dropped from $30 million in June last year to $13.2 million.
At that time, the National Audit Office found that the cost of $211,000 for each of 140 car spaces was the highest in Australia and more than 4.3 times the benchmark of around $49,000 per space.
The Urban Congestion Fund website now shows the project cost has more than halved to $13.2 million, but at more than $94,000 for each car space is still almost twice the benchmark quoted by the audit office.
The new spaces will be "located adjacent to the existing car park on Railway St directly south west of the station", said Ms Wicks.
"A new shared footpath along Railway St will connect commuters from the car park to the station, with the project also to include new signage, line markings, new street lights and closed circuit television on the footpath for the safety of pedestrians and commuters."
Ms Wicks said that Transport for NSW expects to commence construction on the project by the end of 2022 and "will be a great economic boost to our region, supporting around 30 jobs".
If the carpark is to be of the same form as the existing carpark, it would extend down Railway St to Melba Ave and would remove of a number of substantial shade trees.
The 2021 audit found that the Woy Woy upgrade proposal, announced prior to the February 2019 election, was one of seven projects "not included by the department in its briefing to the Minister".
"The department had not used the results of the benchmarking work to inform Ministerial consideration."
The audit also questioned whether the Woy Woy upgrade proposal at the time was eligible for funding under the National Land Transport Act.
"Of the 29 projects assessed by the department as being eligible, there were 10 proposed sites, or options, that were more than 130 meters from a rail station and not attached or readily attachable to that station."
SOURCE:
Social media, 24 Mar 2022
Lucy Wicks, Member for Robertson.