Kiama off ramp delays

KATINA CURTIS

THE NSW Opposition says the Government has failed the Kiama community because the off ramps will not be completed until next year despite promises to have them finished this year.

Opposition spokesman for treasury and the Illawarra Greg Pearce said: "Matt Brown and Labor promised the people of Kiama a vital piece of road infrastructure would be delivered by 2007, but the budget confirms this was just a con and it won't be until 2008 motorists receive some relief."

In a mayoral minute presented to Kiama Council on May 16, 2006, Sandra McCarthy said Mr Brown had announced before the 2004 election the ramps would be constructed by the end of this year.

At that meeting, the council resolved to "implore the State Government to honour its previous commitment to the construction of the (ramps) as a matter of urgency".

In last week's budget, the State Government allocated $8 million to start work on the ramps.

However, St George-Illawarra-based Liberal MLC John Ajaka said this meant the ramps would not be completed until next year.

Mr Brown said the project was progressing well.

"The reason the ramps have taken longer than usual is that there was a claim for Aboriginal artefacts there and by law they had to stop work and try to find them," he said.

A spokesman for Mr Brown said no artefacts had been found in the recent excavation of the site.

The State Government also did not include any funding for upgrades to Kiama's police station in this year's budget.

On March 6 this year, Premier Morris Iemma announced the government would spend $500,000 to improve the working conditions of local police.

The upgrades announced were likely to include lighting, CCTV, fencing and electrical improvements.