Member for Upper Hunter Dave Layzell has used the opening session of the NSW Parliament to put concerns about compulsory land acquisitions for the Singleton Bypass firmly on the new Labor Government’s agenda.
“I have today called on the Minns Government to hold an inquiry into the valuation issues experienced at Singleton as agreed by the former Government,” Mr Layzell said.
“Secondly, I called on the new Government, to make the changes to the Just Terms Compensation Act as it promised during the recent State Election.”
Five property owners and Singleton Council have raised concerns about so called “low ball” offers made by Transport for NSW for the land required to divert New England Highway traffic out of the Singleton township.
The compulsory acquisition process has now reached the mediation stage with the property owners still having access to the Land and Environment Court if they dispute the compensation offer.
“There is agreement about the need for the eight kilometre bypass to take an estimated 15,000 vehicles each day away from the Singleton residential area and ease pressure on local traffic,” Mr Layzell said.
“As I have said previously, I accept the process appears to have failed the remaining residents who operate farming and agricultural businesses on their properties and they deserve answers about a valuation process which produced the compensation offered to them.”
“Labor used the NSW Election to promise that it would make the system fairer, so I challenge the Government to make the Singleton Bypass residents a priority and deliver a prompt assessment of the valuations offered by the existing process.”
