May 10, 2011

Funding For Planning Work On The New England Highway

The Hon Anthony Albanese MP

Minister for Infrastructure & Transport

Leader of the House

Federal Member for Grayndler

May 10 2011

The 2011-12 Budget allocates up to $6 million to begin the necessary planning work on both a future Tenterfield bypass as well as an upgrade of the New England Highway at Bolivia Hill.

This work has been added to our current Nation Building Program (2008-09 to 2013-14) following strong representations from local MP Tony Windsor.

The planning work to be undertaken – along with the community consultations which will occur – will establish preferred routes, costings and realistic construction timetables for both projects.

A bypass would take up to 600 trucks and thousands of cars a day off the local streets of Tenterfield as well as deliver safer driving conditions and shorter travel times for all motorists that use this section of highway.

Further south of Tenterfield the section of highway around Bolivia Hill has a poor safety record. In fact, over the past decade it’s been the scene of thirteen crashes, including four fatalities.

Funding for planning on both projects will come from within the existing budgetary allocation for the Nation Building Program, with additional money for construction to be considered in future budgets once this work has been completed.