Peter Hendy (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My electorate of Eden-Monaro is receiving and early down payment on the government's increased roads expenditure. On 13 June, last Friday, the Deputy Prime Minister visited Queanbeyan. Together with the New South Wales Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner, he announced a joint funding commitment of $50 million to build the Queanbeyan bypass. The Commonwealth and New South Wales governments have committed $25 million each to construct a 4.6-kilometre, two-lane carriageway linking the end of Ellerton Drive to the new Edwin Land Parkway intersection at Old Cooma Road. A bridge will also be built over the Queanbeyan River. The extension of Ellerton Drive will provide an alternative route for traffic wanting to bypass Queanbeyan's busy CBD and improve road safety. It is also a major economic development investment for the Queanbeyan district and has been the No. 1 infrastructure priority for the Queanbeyan City Council for a number of years.

For those people worried that spending decreases in Canberra will adversely affect Queanbeyan and Eden-Monaro, can I say that this project will be a massive boost in investment and jobs. The coalition is definitely looking after Eden-Monaro. The Commonwealth government will work closely with both the New South Wales government and the Queanbeyan City Council to deliver this vital piece of regional road infrastructure. We expect that construction of the bypass will start as soon as mid-2015. (Time expired)