If, like me, you’ve grown up in the Lower Hunter, you’ll traverse the seasons with one eye on the weather.
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We’re acutely aware that we’re just one climactic event from the devastation of storm, fury of bushfire or ferocity of flood.
The people of Kurri and surrounds have experienced all of that in recent years and, while the Federal Government can’t be expected to manage our increasingly volatile weather patterns it is reasonable to expect it to provide the support and infrastructure our growing population needs.
Tester’s Hollow is one hotspot that has proved problematic, and even fatal, for our community. It’s a known flood risk and, with Cessnock Road now providing one of the main arterial routes to the Hunter Expressway for a burgeoning population, an increasingly important thoroughfare.
I was proud to secure a Labor commitment to Federal funds to raise the road through Tester’s Hollow in the lead-up to my election and force the incoming Turnbull Government to commit to the works.
However, time’s ticked on and the road still isn’t fixed.
Last week I sought and received a briefing from Anna Zycki, the Hunter Region Director of Roads and Maritime Services, Transport for NSW, about the Tester’s Hollow project.
Ms Zycki says that the project to reduce flooding and improve reliability along Cessnock Road between Gillieston Heights and Cliftleigh is running on time.
The Federal Government has committed $15 million and the NSW Government $2 million, and the RMS is working to develop a preferred option. That should be completed by the middle of the year, and specialist environmental studies will be finished by the end of the year.
After that we can finally expect work to begin.
The other major road project on my radar is the long-awaited M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace.
The Turnbull Government’s recent Federal Budget failed to deliver on this extremely important project, which would create a planned motorway of national significance.
At the moment we have a Conga-line of East Coast motorway traffic being deposited in the middle of our electorate, precisely where our vital east-west transport route traverses. It’s a danger and an inconvenience to travellers, transporters and, most importantly, us – the people who live and work here.
I will continue to lobby for a Federal funding commitment and a planning/construction timeline.
Join the conversation
You can email me at Meryl.swanson.mp@aph.gov.au or join my online community at www.facebook.com/MerylSwanson/
