Re: East West Highway, through the Centre.

["David & Jan Winter" <winterd@nospam-icenet.com.au>]

Certainly in WA, there is a move by the Dept of Transport to look at a
Perth-Alice Springs Hwy. Its use would be primarily tourism, and servicing
the tourist accommodation business (Yulara, Alice) by WA vendors. Extending
across from Erldunda to Birdsville and Quilpie would provide an attractive
Perth-Brisbane route, but whether the Feds would ever come at the capital
cost of crossing the Simpson, well that's another story.

There are some old mines near the border east of Warburton, and it is on a
mineral shield so there's potential for some activity there, but nothing
driving a major road investment I know of. Other than tourism (a major
economic sector), there's only the outside prospect of some servicing of
mining industry needs at Mt Isa by Kalgoorlie/Perth based
supplier/contractors - not enough for rail to worry about.

So - as someone who likes touring (by caravan) and who has worked at
Warburton for the Community there, it's not something that I would regard
with trepidation, but with anticipation. For the people of Warburton
Communiity, it would be an opportunity for economic development comparable
in some ways with Yalata on the Eyre Hwy.

DW