Upgrading the M1 between Dapto and Figtree, as well as Dapto station’s commuter car park were among the items on NSW Shadow Roads Minister Jodi McKay’s pre-budget priority list.
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The Berejiklian government's first state budget is to be delivered on June 20.
Ms McKay, also Shadow Minister for Transport, visited the Illawarra on Friday, “to highlight those projects that need funding” in the budget.
She met with Member for Keira and Shadow Minister for the Illawarra Ryan Park to inspect the Mount Ousley Interchange, and call on the government to commit to upgrading the intersection.
Labor wants the interchange made a priority, by ensuring the project is fully funded and a firm construction timeline is released.
Ms McKay also met with Shellharbour MP Anna Watson about upgrading the M1 between Dapto and Figtree.
Labor claims they have been calling on the state government since 2013 to build new on-off ramps at Kanahooka, Fowlers and Emerson roads.
Ms Watson and Ms McKay also requested the upgrade of the “overcrowded” commuter car park at Dapto train station.
Ms McKay noted that two of the projects – Mt Ousley and the on-off ramps – have work under way.
“It wasn’t an attack on the government necessarily,” she said of her visit.
“It was saying, these projects are important… You’ve got the biodiversity surveys under way on the Mt Ousley intersection, but the preliminary work has been under way for the on-off ramps since 2013.”
Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward said, “in the Illawarra we’ve seen a 110 per cent increase in the roads budget”.
“Labor ignored Illawarra roads when they were in government because they arrogantly believed that everyone would vote for them in this region, when that’s not always the case.
“Whenever there’s been a vote on anything to do with roads funding in the Illawarra, Labor have always prioritised Sydney roads over Illawarra roads.
“If the purpose of Jodi’s visit was to see how to invest in Illawarra roads, she would have had a very educational experience.”