⸺About Us⸺
Moruya Bypass
Action Group
The Moruya Bypass Action Group was formed in response to the announcement of the preferred bypass route by Transport for NSW in May 2021. We are a diverse group of people who are concerned about the transparency of the process that led to Transport for NSW's decision and the lack of genuine community consultation in this process. Our group includes people who are directly impacted by the bypass including people who will lose their homes and businesses as well as farmers who will lose productive land; people concerned about the environmental impacts of the proposed bypass; businesses concerned about the impact of the bypass on passing trade and residents who believe that the proposed bypass will change the character of Moruya.
We have engaged with businesses and the community since that time and have found that people are generally unaware that there is a preferred route and are very surprised when they learn where it is. Many people in Moruya believed that the bypass would be much closer to town and would allow for better access to the new hospital and the airport.
Members of the Moruya Bypass Action Group attended the community consultation sessions run by Transport for NSW in May 2021 and found that many of our questions about their Strategic Corridor Options Report could not be answered by the Moruya Bypass Project Manager. On their advice, we wrote to Transport for NSW requesting answers to our questions and additional information. They released a “Frequently Asked Questions” document in June 2021 which did not adequately answer our questions or provide the information requested.
We prepared a submission which reflected the concerns of all our members and again asked for additional information to be released to answer the many questions we had posed. Along with many other submissions made at the time, our submission has not been adequately responded to.
We wrote to Andrew Constance in his capacity as our local member of state parliament and his (then) role as the NSW Minister for Transport and Roads. We also wrote to Paul Toole, the (then) NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, and the Regional Director for Transport for NSW. Since it was stated that the road will be partly funded by the federal government, we also wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Barnaby Joyce and our federal member, Fiona Phillips.
We prepared an amendment to a notice of motion on the Moruya Bypass that was put to the Eurobodalla Shire Council in June 2021. The motion and our amendment were passed unanimously by a full meeting of Council who subsequently wrote to Transport for NSW seeking a co-design committee be established for the Moruya Bypass.
To increase local awareness of the proposed Moruya Bypass, we have written newspaper articles to keep the community up to date with our efforts, given radio interviews, attended the Moruya Markets and conducted a business survey. We have started a petition to present to the relevant ministers which currently has over 900 signatures*. We are also distributing leaflets to inform residents about the impacts of the proposed bypass on people, properties, prime agricultural land and our environment.
Transport for NSW’s Director for the Princes Highway upgrade program indicated that the budget for the section of highway from Nowra to the border was $1.5billion. We do not understand why half of that budget is being allocated on bypassing Moruya. We also questioned the priorities of the NSW Government when only $260m has been allocated to a new hospital that will service the entire Eurobodalla Shire and yet $750m is allocated to an 8km bypass around Moruya. Particularly when there are shorter, less expensive and less destructive bypass options available.
*March 2022
We prepared a submission which reflected the concerns of all our members and again asked for additional information to be released to answer the many questions we had posed. Along with many other submissions made at the time, our submission has not been adequately responded to.
We wrote to Andrew Constance in his capacity as our local member of state parliament and his (then) role as the NSW Minister for Transport and Roads. We also wrote to Paul Toole, the (then) NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, and the Regional Director for Transport for NSW. Since it was stated that the road will be partly funded by the federal government, we also wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Barnaby Joyce and our federal member, Fiona Phillips.
We prepared an amendment to a notice of motion on the Moruya Bypass that was put to the Eurobodalla Shire Council in June 2021. The motion and our amendment were passed unanimously by a full meeting of Council who subsequently wrote to Transport for NSW seeking a co-design committee be established for the Moruya Bypass.
To increase local awareness of the proposed Moruya Bypass, we have written newspaper articles to keep the community up to date with our efforts, given radio interviews, attended the Moruya Markets and conducted a business survey. We have started a petition to present to the relevant ministers which currently has over 900 signatures*. We are also distributing leaflets to inform residents about the impacts of the proposed bypass on people, properties, prime agricultural land and our environment.
Transport for NSW’s Director for the Princes Highway upgrade program indicated that the budget for the section of highway from Nowra to the border was $1.5billion. We do not understand why half of that budget is being allocated on bypassing Moruya. We also questioned the priorities of the NSW Government when only $260m has been allocated to a new hospital that will service the entire Eurobodalla Shire and yet $750m is allocated to an 8km bypass around Moruya. Particularly when there are shorter, less expensive and less destructive bypass options available.
*March 2022