Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Education) Share this | Hansard source

For years country communities west of the Great Dividing Range have been campaigning for a better crossing over the mountains. Last year, the coalition delivered $2 billion in the budget for the crucial Great Western Highway upgrade. To date, the new government has been silent on the future of this vital project.

In the same way, since the days of the gold rush, residents of the Central West have raised their voices calling for a bridge to be built at Dixons Long Point. Instead of leaving residents at the mercy of the rise and fall of the Macquarie River, a new crossing would cut the travelling distance between Orange and Mudgee, be accessible to vehicles all year round, withstand record flood events, and open up access between the Central West, Newcastle and Hunter Valley regions to drive economic growth and tourism. The former coalition government was determined to deliver this river crossing, investing $29.8 million from the Roads of Strategic Importance fund, with a further $5 million commitment before the last election. It's got an excellent cost-benefit ratio of 2.491. To date we haven't had any word on the future of this game-changing project. It would be a dagger through the hearts of the communities of western New South Wales if funding has been snatched away from either of these projects. When the Prime Minister was elected, he said he would govern for all Australians, so I'm calling on the new government to back both of these region-building road projects.

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