IMPROVEMENTS TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN LORN

Federal Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie has welcomed the recently completed construction of a new pedestrian refuge at the intersection of Belmore Road and Glenarvon Road in Lorn.

Dr Gillespie recently joined Maitland City Council Deputy Mayor, Cr Mitchell Griffin, to inspect the works which were made possible with over $80,000 from the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program.

“I’ve been working with Council to address local community priorities through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program and I’m delighted that, through the assistance I was able to secure in the previous government, we have been able to ensure safer travel for pedestrians and cyclists,” Dr Gillespie said. “As our communities grow, our local roads and infrastructure need to improve to keep pace with the rate of development and it is essential that locals and visitors alike can move through our towns safely,” Dr Gillespie added.

Dr Gillespie said the program, which was created by the former Federal Coalition Government, had now become a critical program for regional councils in local infrastructure delivery.

“Despite Labor’s axing several regional programs, I am pleased that the government is going to retain the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program.

“In my recent Vision 2030 Plan survey, of the 3,000 households that responded across the Lyne electorate, roads were the number one priority.

“This program will go some way towards getting more community and road projects on the agenda.

Dr Gillespie said that since the Federal election a year ago, he’d had several meetings with both the Minister and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport & Regional Development.

“I’ve discussed the need to not only maintain existing levels of funding for infrastructure in regional areas like ours, but also further investment, given the importance roads are to our region and the economy,” Dr Gillespie said.

“In government, The Nationals put in place a number of good programs for regional Australia. These programs, combined with the regionalisation agenda we took to the last election, should be embraced if Australia is not only to bring regional infrastructure up to standard, but also move the growth out of our major cities and into rural and regional towns,” he added.