In an announcement today NSW Labor announced that, if elected, they will contribute over $16 million for urgent road upgrades and over $6 million for emergency road repairs across the Bega region. The announcement might encourage the Liberal Candidate to make the same commitment. The Labor $16.5 million road upgrade package it is committing to will cover:
$1.5 million to construct a left hand traffic slip lane from Hector McWilliam Drive onto the Princes Highway at Tuross Heads.
$15 million to fund repairs to the Bermagui-Tathra Cuttagee Bridge reconstruction in alignment with heritage and other considerations.
Above: Members of the Tuross Head community, along with the Eurobodalla Mayor stood witness to the commitment being made to funding the left turn lane at Tuross Head along with the other commitments that were made, if elected, that were announced. Now all that is needed are the other Bega electorate candidates to make the same pledge to ensure the projects and essential funding go ahead, irrespective of the election result.
Additional to that Labor say that they will, if elected, provide more than $6.2 million in funding to address the road maintenance backlog through Labor’s new Emergency Road Repairs Fund as well as providing more than $3.6 million in additional road funding to Bega Valley Council and $2.5 million to Eurobodalla Council from the Emergency Repairs Fund.
The elephant in the room around local Council's having to pay to maintain Regional Roads remains. In 2019, the Liberals promised to reclassify and transfer up to 15,000 km of roads to help lift the burden on Councils and ratepayers.
Despite being the Government’s signature regional roads commitment in 2019, it remains unfulfilled - and in the last four years the government has transferred a total of zero kilometres of regional roads.
Disappointingly Deputy Premier Paul Toole and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway have recently said the process could take another four years to complete, and the report has already been sitting on Minister Farrway’s Desk for nearly four months.
That means that ratepayers will be lumbered to maintain Regional Roads that are the responsibility of the State affecting our bottom line and improving theirs.
Mayors and Councillors across the state including Eurobodalla and Bega have expressed extreme frustration at the Government’s broken promise on roads reclassification, demanding action now.
The Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison MP said today"
"Labor’s commitment of over $22 million for Bega Roads will provide much-needed cost of living relief for councils and communities by repairing their damaged roads after 12 years of inaction, floods and fires and deliver the roads that are needed to provide the roads our regions need for the future.
Member for Bega, Dr. Michael Holland MP said of the election commitment:
"The residents of the Bega electorate have told me again and again over the past year of the dangers of highway potholes and dangerous highway T intersections.
The community from Bermagui to Bega and beyond have been frustrated and isolated by the lack of action on the Cuttagee bridge.
I am pleased that my advocacy on these roads has been vindicated.”
Attending today's announcement the Federal Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips MP said:
“Improving our local roads is something I hear about frequently and I take very seriously. Dr Holland is a fierce advocate for his communities and I’m delighted the Tuross Head Road intersection will be made safer under a Minns Labor Government”
Cr Helen O'Neil, Bega Valley Shire Councillor said of the commitment to the Bermagui-Tathra Cuttagee Bridge reconstruction:
"This is great news for Bermagui and Tathra, and a vital circuit breaker for the Bega Valley Shire. It will put the community at the heart of the design work for our iconic bridge and is the way forward for a local infrastructure project that has been stalled for too long. Dr Michael Holland and Labor NSW are to be congratulated for the initiative which will revive this important tourist road"
VIDEO: Dr Michael Holland March 13th 2023 at Tuross Head, NSW
