'Not Time' For Road to Tumut

28 July 1975 The Canberra Times

The Prime Minister, Mr Whitlam, said at the weekend that the time was not right for the construction of a road between Canberra and Tumut.

Mr Whitlam was speaking at a civic reception in Tumut on Saturday.

He said, "I've been a very great advocate of getting a road here, admittedly as part of a shorter route between Sydney and Melbourne, and there's been a big economic survey of it.

"But I wouldn't want you to be too optimistic because, frankly, the shorter road - so they tell me - would have to go through so much more difficult and mountainous terrain that the cost would put it beyond practicable reach. ...

"It may be there should be a report into the practicability of a road between Canberra and Tumut, but quite frankly, these things do cost an immense amount of money and this is not the best time to be suggesting initiating it".  

While in Tumut, the Prime Minister opened Blakeney Lodge, an old people's home.