GROUNDHOG DAY FOR LYNE AS LABOR CUTS ROAD FUNDING AGAIN

Residents in the Lyne Electorate have yet again been snubbed by the Albanese Government with more infrastructure cuts and delays following the outcome of Labor’s Infrastructure Review.

Documents released to the Parliament have revealed the extent of cuts and delays resulting from Labor’s Review.

The Lyne electorate has fallen victim to Labor’s anti-regional agenda with funding cut or delivery delayed to several critical local road projects.

I am so incredibly disappointed in this Labor Government’s sneaky decision to cut funding to the Lorne Road upgrade and the delay to the completion on the life-saving and time-saving work on the Pacific Highway.

This is on top of the cancellation of $4 million in funding for the Oxley Highway Stage 2 Planning (Billabong Drive, Sancrox to Lake Road, Port Macquarie) which the Labor Government announced in November last year.

The Lorne Road is a strategic transport road for business and locals that is in dire need of bitumen sealing. The $1.5 million cut in funding in the 2023-24 financial year is destined to limit just how much of the planned road work will now be completed.

The Pacific Highway duplication has been a longstanding Nationals initiative and commitment to nation building infrastructure. It should be a bi-partisan investment in transport and community infrastructure.

Instead, the interests of communities on the mid coast have been traded away for $40.4 million in Pacific Highway Road Corridor savings so Labor can fund its pet city projects.

This includes the Harrington/Coopernook Intersection Upgrade with Federal Labor saying that the completion of the project will be delayed. With the NSW State Labor Government dragging its heels on this project, this additional uncertainty is another low blow for locals.

These decisions are simply not fair or just for people on the coast and I will be taking these decisions up with the Minister.