THE road ahead of Muswellbrook beyond coal may be unclear for many, but the state government is ready to ensure the road around the Hunter coal heartland at least is fit for purpose.
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Rather than pump money into the Muswellbrook bypass, a project with final designs from Transport for NSW at the ready, the government will sink its cash into "making sure the port of Newcastle is connected to Central West-Orana" as wind farm components travel through the region in the years ahead.
What does that look like? A $110.5 million budget allocation over two years in the state budget due tomorrow, with an extra $18 million from the federal government.
Put plainly, this money is about securing passage for renewables infrastructure through a coal region already firmly of the belief it has not received its due share of royalties. Instead of delivering a lasting piece of Hunter infrastructure, the money appears bound for clearing the path for renewables investment to roll right through this region on its way elsewhere. Where's the Hunter's benefit?
It is unclear if any of the money will help upgrade the mass-restricted Denman Bridge, which forces oversized trucks off the Golden Highway onto council-owned back roads. The treasurer himself confirmed it was "separate from anything to do with Muswellbrook bypass".
The state government cannot fall into the trap of paving the way for the Hunter to miss out once again on crucial infrastructure as it allows for the state to meet its energy needs.
The council told the NSW Independent Planning Commission only months ago that it objected to sending oversized loads bound for wind farms through the area's streets. Roads manager Kellie Scholes told the IPC that the Muswellbrook detour for oversized vehicles "isn't an ideal route, either".
"It goes past a school, the Muswellbrook High School, and the major pedestrian crossing for those children going to and from school," she said. "It also snakes around down through a residential area and through our major interchange, bus interchange, where school children meet to get the buses from their country."
The council staff estimated that proposed New England wind farms would need 600 turbine blades transported through the shire in the next six years and the Central West zone 1200. That is a significant number of truck movements for areas that already face congestion during certain parts of the day.
The region is in no position to turn down fiscal attention from Macquarie Street. That said, how is ignoring upgrades that would create a more direct route and help the area's strained roads long-term, anything but a hasty spend squandering its chance to recognise and reward this region's energy contributions over many years?
Investing in upgraded bridges and the bypass would inspire a sense this was about more than simply paving the way past the Hunter. Meanwhile, the road through the energy transition for the region's coal communities remains uncertain.
