Protestors arrived outside the Prime Minister's first Gilmore media doorstop this morning wearing Hawaiian shirts and playing ‘April Sun in Cuba’. To add to the occasion there were others offering the Prime Minister a demonstration of how to hold a hose.
The Prime Minister chose a business in Culburra Beach, sitting side by side with his endorsed local candidate, to announce a $40 million package to fix roads in Gilmore.
It is understood that the money will split between:
- $8 million to Forest Road
- $6 million to Callala Bay Road
- $14 million to Culburra Road
- $2 million to the Coonamia Road/Currarong Road/Callala Bay Road intersection
- $5 million to the Green PT Road/Worrigee Road intersection
- $3 million to the Wool Road
- $2 million for St George Basin
When asked later on social media about Eurobodalla roads the Liberal candidate offered "More to come".
One might wonder why Eurobodalla and Bega roads, that have been in a state of disrepair and continued failure have not received Federal funding in the last four years yet, the day after an election date is announced the Prime Minister can swoop in and stand by his local candidate offering up tens of millions of dollars.
The Eurobodalla and Bega electorate have good reason to feel left out knowing the Federal Government has committed more than $1 billion as part of their $120 billion (even so that that is just 1/120th) ten-year infrastructure investment program to support major projects along the Princes Highway in Nowra and across the region, including $155 million for the Nowra bridge; $752 million for the Milton-Ulladulla Bypass; $400 million for upgrades to the Princes Highway between Jervis Bay Road and Sussex Inlet Road; and $100 million for the Jervis Bay Road and Princes Highway intersection.
Once you go further south into Eurobodalla and Bega the Federal funding for roads appears to have dried up.
Today Scott Morrison admitted in his media release that "Backing the Shoalhaven has always been a key priority for my government".
Gilmore has been identified as a key seat that the government are determined to win back having lost it in the last election to Fiona Phillips by a considerable swing.
The question now is:
"Will Scott Morrison dare to venture into the Eurobodalla and Bega, and what manna from heaven will he bring with him to sway voters who have not been Scott Morrisons "key priority"?
Photo: source
