FOR PRESS
ND 54 STATEiENT BY THE LINISTER FOR NATION* L DEVELOPI-ENT
( Hon. David Fairbairn, iM. P.)
COMION. IEALTH OFFERS TO FINNCE WORK
ON SNO -Y MOUITAINS ROADS
The Snowy Mountains authority will offer the New South
Wales Government 33A million to help maintain Snowy Mountains
tourist roads for the next 20 years.
The Minister for National Development ( Mr. Fairbairn)
said this today. He said that in addition to contributions for the
maintenance of roads for the use of the public and the S. i. I. A.,
the Authority this summer was prepared to spend '> 50,000 in
restoring the Alpine . ay to its 1965 condition '' hen the
Snowy Mountains Authority, having no further need for the road,
ceased regular maintenance.
This part of the offer was conditional upon the State
accepting future responsibility for the Alpine Way.
Mr. Fairbairn said the $ 3,250,000 would be made
available to the State at $ 200,000 a year for the first ten
years, $ 150,000 a year for the next five years, and $ 100,000
a year for the final five years.
" The Snowy Mountains authority and the Commonwealth
have spent about $ 30 million on the construction of roads to
and within the Snowy Mountains area," Mr. Fairbairn said.
" These roads, including the . Alpine ' ay, were built
for the simple reason that it would have been impossible to get
on with the Snowy i. iountains Scheme without them.
" However, they have proved a major tourist asset to
the State, and this is a side dividend that we are all pleased
to see.
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" Mvlost of the roads in the area are still being
maintained at the expense of the Snowy Mountains Authority.
" The , uthority's use of the roads is decreasing and
the tourist traffic is increasing rapidly.
" We estimate that in a few years the traffic
attributable to the operation and maintenance of the Scheme
will be less than 2 per cent of the traffic in the area.
" In these circumstances, we think it is fair to begin
a phased change in responsibility for the upkeep of these roads.
" To begin with, the Federal offer will cover more than
half the estimated cost of maintanance.
" The h uthority's need for the _ ilpine Way ended some
years ago, but it is considered reasonable to restore it to its
former condition before it passes into the care of the State."
, tr. Fairbairn said the Snowy Authority was still
studying a suggestion that it should p; y the State a licence fee
for the occupation of land by hydro-electic and other works.
Canberra.
November 15, 1967.