The NSW government will hit the accelerator in this year's state budget, outlaying one of the biggest amounts of cash for the Princes Highway of any state government.
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The Mercury can reveal the state's 2019/20 financial blueprint, to be handed down by Treasurer Dominic Perrottet on Tuesday, will contain almost half a billion dollars for major works along the busy thoroughfare.
Member for Kiama Gareth Ward said the $452 million cash splash - to be spent during the next financial year - would fund a series of Princes Highway-related projects.
Mr Ward described the money as "one of the biggest allocations to the Princes Highway of any budget of any state government".
There will be $168.5 million in the budget to continue outstanding work on the Albion Park Rail bypass, a project the MP said "many believed they would never drive on, or never see the day that it would commence".
The budget papers will also include $150.1 million for ongoing work on the Berry to Bomaderry highway upgrade, a project due for completion in 2022.
"Both of these projects in my electorate are projects that I said I would deliver. When I make a promise to our community I always get it done," Mr Ward said.
A further $29.5 million will be set aside as early funds for the new Shoalhaven River bridge at Nowra.
On the health front, this budget also includes $55 million for the Shellharbour Hospital project.
The money forms part of a $378 million upgrade of the facility - $250 million from the state government and the $128 million announced by its Commonwealth counterpart just before the May federal election.
Meanwhile, the region's Labor MPs have revealed their Budget 2019 wish lists.
Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said he hoped the budget would fully allocate the $20 million the Berejiklian government announced for lifts at Unanderra train station and "set a concrete timeline for the start of work".
Mr Scully has also called on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to guarantee the city's public sector jobs would be spared from mooted cuts.
The plea came amid reports the government could cut up to 2500 positions, as part of a budget cost-saving measure.
The MP said he wrote to Ms Berejiklian in April, requesting she quarantine any proposed public sector job cuts in Wollongong, but never got a response.
"I'm repeating my call to the Premier to guarantee that not a single one of the 2500 jobs to be cut by her government will come from Wollongong," he said.
Shellharbour MP Anna Watson echoed the call, saying job losses in the public sector were her biggest concern.
"We're about to go down the privatisation path again and they absolutely do not have a mandate to do this," Ms Watson said.
"I just don't trust this lot, I've never trusted them and I don't trust them to deliver a budget that's going to be in favour of the people in my electorate."
Keira MP, and Labor's treasury spokesman, Ryan Park said he would be looking for Mount Ousley interchange money, a "significant investment in the South Coast Rail line" and for demountable classrooms across his electorate to be replaced with permanent structures.
"This Liberal-National government doesn't have a great track record when it comes to investing in the Illawarra. Hopefully this budget will be different," Mr Park said.
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Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
