TWO critical infrastructure projects are behind schedule, but while construction of extra parking at Orange Health Service will start next week, the completion of the Guanna Hill upgrade near Molong no longer has a specific completion date.
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The parking project was meant to start by early 2018 and the road project was meant to end by March 31, but member for Orange Phil Donato said neither had met their targets and it was no longer early in the year.
“We’re almost halfway through 2018 and [parking] is something people have approached me about on a weekly basis,” he said.
“It’s simply not good enough – this was raised in 2011.”
With heritage requirements holding up a previous project to open the Bloomfield campus to traffic at Huntley Road, Mr Donato said it was not a valid reason.
“If the Minister wanted to, they could accelerate it,” he said.
“It’s a simple car park, it’s not a stadium, it’s not a light rail project.”
A Western NSW Local Health District spokesman said the LHD had been working with the Office of Environment and Heritage and Orange City Council to finalise approval to expand the car park.
“This has been a complicated process given the significant environmental and heritage issues related to the Bloomfield hospital site,” he said.
The spokesman said the approval processes were finished and work would start onsite on Monday.
“An official commencement of work is planned for May 7 when further details will be provided regarding the location and extent of the car park expansions and the timeframe for delivery,” he said.
The work is expected to cost about $1.3 million.
Meanwhile, NSW Roads and Maritime Services’ statement to the Central Western Daily the Guanna Hill upgrade on the Mitchell Highway would be complete by March 31 also did not occur.
Mr Donato said Roads Minister Melinda Pavey had refused to guarantee the date in parliament earlier this year.
"In the meantime, there have been several crashes on this stretch of road while we wait for the works to be completed,” he said.
An RMS spokesman said there had been issues relating to material testing and wet weather.
“The project is on budget and expected to be complete later this year.”