Barwon roads funding must stay in Barwon

One of the key features of the 2020 Budget for the Barwon electorate is the spending on local road upgrades, freight links and bridges.

The electorate will benefit from over $150 million in roads funding across the forward estimates. This funding will go to upgrades such as the Newell Highway upgrade at Coonabarabran, the Tullibigeal Road upgrade for Road Trains, the sealing of the Pooncarie Road and several bridge replacements including the Birrie, Dumbel and Muckerawa Bridges. Some of this funding we already knew about through pre-Budget announcements.

Given this is a Budget geared towards getting NSW people back into jobs and kick starting the economy post COVID-19, my priority will be to ensure the Government contracts locals to undertake these projects.

The Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party will be putting pressure on the Government to institute a local contractor bias, much like we were able to secure for the Newell Highway upgrade. For the Newell upgrades prospective suppliers within the Local Government Area received a 10% weighted benefit to their tender. Suppliers in neighboring Local Government Areas received a 7.5% weighted benefit.

For any project that’s funded in the Barwon electorate it is my number one priority to ensure as much of the money as possible stays local be that through the contracting of local businesses, the purchase of materials or employing locals to undertake the work.

Money allocated to Barwon, must stay in Barwon if our communities are going to reap the full benefits of Budget allocations.