Wanted: A Good Road to Tumut

16 November 1979 The Canberra Times 

Sir, - I would like to add my support to the recent call by Senator John Knight and others (The Canberra Times, October 31) for a direct, sealed road, from Canberra to Tumut.

Although only some 100 kilometres away as the crow flies, Tumut and its surrounding attractions I feel sure are hardly ever seen by ACT residents.

This is borne out by the paucity of their signatures in the visitors' books at the power stations in the Snowy Mountains Scheme, surely one of the engineering wonders of the world.

A cursory glance at registration plates in the car parks, at the Yarrangobilly Caves with its thermal pool, Mt Selwyn ski area, the historic gold; workings around Kiandra, and Tumut township itself, also confirms how little these places, arc appreciated by Canberra people.  

Last year I was particularly sorry to miss Ken Warby's successful world water-speed record attempt on Blowering Dam, simply because the 550-kilometre round trip through Cooma was too much for one day.

I will not repeat the mistake of taking the atrocious "short-cut", through Wee Jasper, which was memorable for the number of near misses with flocks of sheep and on- coming cars hidden behind hairpin bends.

Even the initial section of a sealed road through the Brindabellas will provide easy access to winter snow cover for families with young children, without the distance and the expense of the long trip to the main resort areas.

John Newlands 

Kaleen.