Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I rise again today to speak on a critical issue, and that is the intersection on the Oxley Highway at Wrights Road and Lake Road. In 2022 this project was fully funded with $5 million secured: $4 million from the federal coalition government and $1 million from the state coalition government. This funding was vital for stage 2 upgrades to address congestion, improve road safety and support our rapidly growing population. But what did the Labor government do? They ripped it away in their so-called 90-day infrastructure review, which, by the way, was 200 days. They put this critical project on the scrap pile, with the New South Wales Labor government, shockingly, approving the decision.

This isn't about traffic congestion. It's about public safety. Delays at the intersection affect emergency response times to the Port Macquarie Base Hospital, putting lives at risk every single day. It is unacceptable. Since this disgraceful decision, I've been working with the local council and the state MP as a united front to get this funding reinstated. This isn't about politics; this is about protecting our community. Our lives matter, Labor. To my community: I need your support. Visit my website and sign the petition demanding that the funding be restored. Together, let's get this vital project done.

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