Time to seal outback roads deal

Mining and Pastoral Region Member Robin Scott is calling on the State Government to seal major roads connecting Meekatharra to Carnarvon and Wiluna.

“The Carnarvon-Meekatharra road is used by tourists going to Mt Augustus — we would get more tourists going there if the road was sealed,” he said.

“Now that they have closed Uluru for people wanting to climb the rock, they can climb Mt Augustus — it is much bigger and much higher.

“They should make a priority to seal the Meekatharra-Wiluna road and the Meekatharra-Carnarvon road.”

He contacted the Midwest Times after hearing a radio interview with Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan, in which he said he heard the minister say her government would consider sealing Trans Access Road.

“Two thirds of the roads in WA are unsealed, yet we would spend hundreds of millions of dollars sealing a road that would never get used,” he said.

“It is an access line, nothing more, just to do maintenance on the railway line itself. It is used by some of the pastoralists.

“Anyone using that road would have to carry their own water, fuel and food because no one would set up a roadhouse on a road that isn’t going to get much traffic.”

A spokesman for Ms MacTiernan said she made the remark in response to a question on very little notice.

“It was more of a comment that we’re looking at all options for better interstate connectivity,” he said.