The long-awaited new bridge over the Shoalhaven River at Nowra should be made with Illawarra steel, said Greens MP David Shoebridge.
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He said the party would also be calling for designs for the new bridge.
“We know there’s going to be a requirement of state and federal funding to get that bridge at Nowra,” Mr Shoebridge said.
“Business as usual will see just another large concrete lump crossing the river. We say it’s time to think outside the box.
“If we want to secure jobs and economic growth in the region, we should be making sure that’s a steel span, sourced from Australian steel and using Australian workers, hopefully regional workers, in the fabrication of any new bridge.
"That would be a multi-million investment in the region.”
The bridge, which would be the third crossing of the Shoalhaven River at Nowra, received $3 million in planning money in this week's state budget.
This is on top of another $3 million received in the last budget.
Mr Shoebridge said making the bridge out of BlueScope steel could provide an ongoing boost for the region.
“Bridges tend to be iconic,” he said.
“If the people from the region know that the steel in their bridge was made locally it would be a shot in the arm for them every time they crossed it.”
Mr Shoebridge said he wanted the Greens to be involved in finding an eye-catching design for the bridge.
“We won’t just leave it with government, we’re going to be looking at the steel industry ourselves to see if we can generate ideas through a design competition,” Mr Shoebridge said.