Brolgan Road reopens in Parkes Special Activation Precinct

Member for Orange, Phil Donato, joined with the Mayor of Parkes, Neil Westcott, councillors and representatives from the Department of Regional NSW to reopen Brolgan Road, and mark two years since major construction commenced in the Parkes precinct.

Fulton Hogan delivered the project that includes 7.3 kilometres of upgrades along Brolgan Road, two rail overpass bridges, and upgrades to water, power, gas and communications infrastructure. Since 2021, project teams have worked over 520,000 hours to deliver these upgrades.

The new infrastructure will improve amenity for businesses and residents along Brolgan Road as well as servicing up to 1800 hectares of land in the Parkes precinct, ready for new development. Brolgan Road also received new energy efficient street lighting that uses a built-in radar system to detect approaching vehicles to illuminate the road, saving energy and reducing maintenance.

Businesses and residents are advised of the new 80 kilometres per hour speed limit within the Parkes precinct, which includes the new intersections and bridges along Brolgan Road. Special Activation Precincts are part of the NSW Government's major and transformative infrastructure program. For more information, visit www.nsw.gov.au/parkessap.

Member for Orange, Mr Philip Donato MP, described the Special Activation Precinct as a great legacy for Parkes and the Central West, delivering substantial benefits, including job creation and economic growth.

"The precinct will diversify agriculture and create a circular economy that extends beyond the region, offering a promising future by attracting businesses and new employment opportunities," Mr Donato said.

"As a local representative, I recognise the profound impact of this investment for our community, paving the way for highly skilled jobs in the future, which is particularly important for the younger generations committed to staying, working, and thriving in our region.

"The Parkes precinct already has established companies such as SCT, Pacific National and Masterpet, and others in the pipeline, which is a great outcome that contributes to a sustainable future both for the precinct and the State," Mr Donato said.

Parkes Shire Mayor, Councillor Neil Westcott said this is a really special day for the Parkes community.

"The Brolgan Road reopening signifies the continued progress of the Parkes Special Activation Precinct, where the vision starts to come to life, and where road and rail connectivity from Parkes is propelled into the future," he said.

"Parkes is so well situated to be a gateway to national and international markets. We hope that this project will act as a blueprint for all the other precincts across the state, and the nation more widely.

"The Special Activation Precinct will ensure Parkes continues to boast a strong diverse economy and will create jobs and opportunities for the whole region when completed, efficiently linking agricultural value-added products to world markets," Cr Westcott said.

Minister for Agriculture, Regional NSW and Western NSW Tara Moriarty said she was delighted to see the Parkes Special Activation Precinct progressing, as part of the NSW Government's $332.1 million investment for the Central West region.

"As part of this milestone, a newly upgraded Brolgan Road and two new rail overpass bridges will reopen to traffic," she said.

"As our State's first Special Activation Precinct, this is a transformational project for Parkes, enabling our vision for economic growth and employment to come to life.

"I commend Fulton Hogan for delivering these upgrades and infrastructure that will improve amenity for businesses and residents along Brolgan Road, and service up to 1800 hectares of land in the Parkes precinct, ready for new development," Ms Moriarty said.

Ms Moriarty said the bridges will make travel safer and faster by allowing motorists and trains carrying single and double stacked rail container freight to pass through the precinct without level crossings.

"Parkes is home to the National Logistics Hub. From here, suppliers can access up to 80 per cent of Australia's population within 12 hours by road or rail. This allows the delivery of local products across Australia and around the world."

Troy Anderson, Director of the Parkes and Moree Special Activation Precincts said this is the first opening of infrastructure that's associated with 7.3km of upgraded road services, two bridges over the rail network and a provision of utilities that open up the Special Action Precinct to investors.

This work has been three years in the making, Mr Anderson said, with about 12 months in design and the remainder in construction.

Among some of the major challenges they have seen over the past three years, Mr Anderson said, included COVID, massive price escalation and labour market with COVID and supply shortages, along with flooding, and a drought.

Mr Anderson said he is extremely proud of the team he is privileged to work with and he can't thank them enough as they are the backbone behind the project.