Bega MP Andrew Constance has hit back at Eden-Monaro federal MP Mike Kelly for saying Labor deserved credit for highway upgrades at Dignams Creek.
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The Infrastructure Minister said the Coalition NSW Government was responsible.
“These two upgrades were the subject of a Coronial inquest back in 2004 and 2005,” he said. “Labor had every opportunity to get that investment in back then.”
Mr Constance said the community was sick of political games about the Princes Highway.
I haven’t heard one federal politician or candidate commit
“Our community wants the roads upgraded, they don’t want politics,” he said. “People like Mike Kelly haven’t delivered for the road. They’ve played politics around the upgrades, when we really need a methodology about saving lives.
“We’re talking about billions of dollars needing to be invested in a long-term strategy of duplicating the highway south of Sydney. The community doesn’t care whether it’s federal or state funding, they just want lives saved.”
Mr Constance said the state government had put in $2.5 billion to duplicate the highway to Jervis Bay, and the federal government must commit.
“I haven’t heard one federal politician or candidate on either side commit to the highway,” he said. “This is above politics. If we don’t see duplication south of Jervis Bay, we’re going to see lives lost. We can’t sit back and wait for a crash rate that’s as high as the Pacific Highway.”