Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 7 June I visited Tuross Head. Deciding to really meet and talk to as many people as possible, I accepted an invitation to meet the members of the Tuross Head Men's Shed. They have converted the old golf club, with the help of a grant of $5,000 from the federal government's Stronger Communities Program, pouring a concrete floor section to join the clubhouse to the outdoor storage and covered barbecue area, under the proud eyes of the president, Leo Demchy. The gentlemen at the Tuross Head Men's Shed showed me all the projects, the work area, the machines and, surprisingly, a pool table. Clearly, this men's shed is catering for so many, including a photography club. They were very welcoming, and I thank them for taking the time to chat and talk about topics important to them, especially the shed activities.

Following that, I went to my scheduled village visit, meeting some great local residents who had just completed their regular walk and were rewarding themselves with a coffee. It was great to talk to Mary, Colleen and Anne about issues important to them, such as local roads and some connecting pathways. The Boatshed was the village visit stop where we enjoyed amazing fish and chips and met the owners, Casey and Shawn. The next highlight in Tuross Head was meeting with the residents of the Tuross Head Progress Association. President Gary Cooper and Secretary John Tilbrook have been in regular contact, especially with the most significant project for the community—the intersection of the Princes Highway and Hector McWilliam Drive. Fitzroy and Mylene Boulting have been long-term advocates for this intersection over many years. During the process of getting to know the Eurobodalla residents in 2016 after the boundary redistribution, this intersection became very important to me to advocate on their behalf. The original commitment to the Eurobodalla Shire Council included three new roundabouts to be constructed. However, before the contracts were signed, one was already completed. As a consequence, there was allocated funding available. There was only one destination for this funding, and it was the intersection, to help the residents of Tuross Head.

I take this opportunity to thank the Tuross Head community for their feedback and their tireless advocacy on this infrastructure, where they have a T-intersection with the highway which is incredibly dangerous. Particularly for the many fishing people who go there with their boat trailers, there's very limited visibility and it's extremely difficult to get back out onto the highway when they're doing 100 kays an hour. It is an accident waiting to happen, as every resident knows. Their advocacy enabled me to consistently appeal to the minister to reallocate the funds on their behalf. This has been achieved. So $1.4 million has been moved to that intersection instead of just having an upgrade of stop signs. I look forward to delivering the work on the ground following the commitment of these funds. Shortly, we will be surveying the community on projects they believe are a priority for the Princes Highway, and particularly in Eurobodalla. I look forward to getting their feedback throughout the community of Gilmore.