Residents and political figures will gather on the grounds at the Hall interchange just outside the ACT tomorrow at 7.45am, to launch the much anticipated social media campaign for the Barton Highway Community Action Group.
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In the lead up to the launch, Sophie Wade of the Duplicate the Barton Highway Community Action Group and her family organised a drone to capture footage and aerial shots of traffic on the Barton Highway’s ‘mad mile’ - the place where around 12,000 motorists take to the road each day.
The footage will be used in the intense media campaign to bring the ‘Barton issue’ into the gaze of the Eden-Monaro’s federal candidates.
The Barton Action Group has been crowdfunding for months, all in an attempt to make the Barton Highway a forefront issue in the July election.
Over $3000 has been raised for the campaign and, since the launch this morning, residents will begin to see the tag ‘Duplicate the Barton Highway’ on the bumper of thousands of cars as well as posters dotted along the stretch of road.
Ms Wade said the efforts made by the community is to make the federal government take the Barton Highway seriously.
“We've been a safe seat for 20 years and we have got nothing but idle promises. Eden Monaro is only held by 1000 votes," Ms Wade told Fairfax.
"It's trench warfare and the trench for Eden Monaro is definitely the Barton Highway. If they don't address the Barton Highway they're conceding defeat."
Only weeks ago, Mike Kelly was favoured to win the bellwether seat, the latest polling, however, has showed Peter Hendy closing into equal favourite with Kelly to win Eden Monaro, according to sportsbet.com.au.
Last Monday, May 23, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Premier Mike Baird flew into the seat of Eden-Monaro with bags of cash to splash on local projects, which has helped boost Hendy’s chances of retaining the seat. The Barton is yet to see a penny.
“Mike Kelly is the punter’s choice to win Eden Monaro, but the high profile visit from the Prime Minister and Premier shows the Liberal Party will not let this seat go lightly, with both candidates now neck and neck at $1.87,” sportsbet.com.au’s Ben Bulmer said.
Both heavyweight parties are yet to commit any funding for the highway despite being described by Mr Kelly as the ‘link’ for the Eden-Monaro.
Greens candidate, Tamara Ryan, in a surprising announcement on Monday, has declared her commitment to fully duplicate the Barton Highway and to investigate long-term public transport additions along the route.
The 26-year-old Candello woman told the Tribune that a real solution is needed to save lives, not more band-aid fixes.
“More and more commuters and heavy vehicles are using the Barton each year, yet under successive Labor and Coalition governments, much has been promised but we only ever see piecemeal solutions at best,” Ms Ryan said.
“Patchy fixes on dangerous stretches have happened but the real solution – a full duplication and the inclusion of good public transport linkages with the ACT – seem to have been repeatedly put in the too hard basket.”
Ms Ryan believes taxing high income earners more would ensure funding for projects such as the Barton.
“Greens continue to call on the LNP and ALP to commit to the $284 million [now $800 million] for full duplication promised by Howard in 2007, not merely the 'upgrades' suggested by Mike Kelly. Those who commute between Canberra and surrounds are fed up with being told we can't afford to invest in their safety. Greens say, we can't afford not to!
"I support the impressive grassroots work done by the Barton Highway Action Group, and stand in solidarity with their launch this week,” concluded Ms Ryan.