GATEWAY TO WINGHAM GETS A $5-MILLION BOOST

I recently announced a $5-million Federal funding boost to the Cedar Party Creek Bridge Replacement project at Wingham.

The project is being undertaken by MidCoast Council in collaboration with Transport for NSW.

Cedar Party Creek Bridge replacement project will see the construction of a new reinforced concrete bridge, including two traffic lanes, a widened shoulder and a shared path.

I know council had been working with the former State Member for Myall Lakes the late Stephen Bromhead and and current State MP Tanya Thompson to secure State funding for this important project and with the recent cost escalation, this successful Federal funding application will provide a real boost to the project which will soon get underway.

Council is currently assessing tenders for the project and construction is expected to commence on the new bridge project in the first half of next year.

The $5-million funding grant has been made available under the Australian Government’s Bridges Renewal Program. The program was established under the former Coalition Government in the 2014-15 Federal Budget and delivered on a 2013 election commitment to provide $300 million, to be matched dollar for dollar, to renew and upgrade deteriorating local bridges.

In the Lyne electorate, 32 bridge projects have been funded under the program since the program was established.

The initiative was an important element of the Coalition’s policy to boost national productivity and economic growth by enhancing the productivity of the national freight task.

Introduction of the program recognised that for many councils the cost of renewing and upgrading deteriorating bridges was beyond their financial resources.

Restrictions and load limits imposed on bridges were significant barriers to higher productivity trucks being able to access farms and loads of primary resources for domestic or export markets.

The program has been very successful, with all designated funding rounds oversubscribed.

In a recent meeting with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, I raised concerns that the program had been referred to a 90-day Strategic Review of the Infrastructure Investment Program for potential ‘reform’.

In November 2021 the former Federal Coalition Government reformed the program from a round-based application program to one accepting applications continuously. At the March 2022-23 Federal Budget the former Coalition Government committed $464 million for the Bridges Renewal Program over the forward estimates, with an ongoing commitment of $85 million per year from 2026-27.

Our local area has seen dozens of new bridges funded under this important program and I would be very disappointed if the program is abolished by the Albanese Government after the review.