In a win-win for the Central Coast, both Liberal and Labor parties have made a $40M pre-election commitment to improve the safety and quality of roads in the region.
On May 11 Prime Minister Scott Morrison was on the Coast with Liberal candidate for Dobell, Michael Feneley, and Member for Robertson Lucy Wicks to make the funding announcement to improve 60 roads across the region.
In direct response, two days later Federal Member for Dobell, Emma McBride followed-up with Labor’s pledge to also commit $40M to Coast roads and to work with Central Coast Council to specify a list of roads for funding.
The Liberal Party’s funding would be in addition to the $86.5M already delivered to Central Coast Council in the Central Coast Roads Package and would prioritise local road improvements.
It would also support Council in addressing the significant maintenance backlog created by recent weather events and the increased traffic movements of the growing region.
Morrison said the Government’s record infrastructure investment was supporting residents of the Central Coast, while creating local jobs.
“A strong economy means we continue to improve roads across the Central Coast, helping residents get home sooner and safer,” he said.
He said that continuing to provide funding for road and rail projects was a key plan of the long-term plan to keep the economy strong.
Wicks said she had worked with local residents and Council to identify priority projects that improved safety and address maintenance challenges across the region.
“Better local roads, particularly after the recent storms, is the number one issue raised with me and this funding will upgrade some of our worst roads across the Coast,” she said.
Local roads in the northern suburbs to be improved include: Hue Hue Rd, Jilliby; Alison Rd, Wyong; Lakedge Ave, Berkeley Vale.
Other roads on the Coast to be improved will be The Scenic Rd, MacMasters Beach, Killcare and Killcare Heights; Davistown Rd, Saratoga and Davistown; Rickard Rd, Empire Bay; Peats Ridge Rd, Somersby and Cape Three Points Rd, Avoca Beach.
Funding will be provided to Council to support its works program, including road reconstruction, rehabilitation and resurfacing.
The commitment builds on the Coalition’s strong investment to support infrastructure improvements across the Central Coast including: $1B for faster rail between Sydney and Newcastle which will deliver additional tracks between Tuggerah and Wyong, extra platforms and station upgrades at Wyong and Tuggerah and new dual track rail bridges over the Wyong River; $336M to upgrade the Pacific Highway through Wyong by duplicating the highway between Johnson Rd and Cutler Dr and replacing the existing Wyong River road bridge with two new road bridges; $51.2M to upgrade the Central Coast Highway and Tumbi Rd intersection; more than than $86.5M committed to the Central Coast Roads Package; and more than $35M committed to Central Coast Council under the Roads to Recovery and Local Roads and Community Infrastructure programs.
Sue Murray and Terry Collins
The poor state of roads in pocket communities has been a major issue Council has not properly addressed for decades. The situation is now too big for the Council to rectify in or out Administration. Pleased road repair will be priority through Federal Funding.
Federal funding is a necessary step. Prior Councils in or out of Administration lost the plot. Pocket communities, especially, are in need of road upgrades.
40 million to fix the roads really?
More like 400 million minimum.
The roads are terrible and the quality of the roads haven’t kept up with development.