BY IAN CROUCH
The race for the hotly contested seats of Paterson and Hunter ramps up today with Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Opposition leader Anthony Albanese making key announcements.
Barnaby Joyce will announce a Coalition pledge of $55 million to upgrade the terminal at Newcastle Airport to international standard.
It will provide for a new double-storey terminal building to cater for larger planes and keep domestic and international travellers separate.
Work is due to start in October to complement the $66 million upgrade of the runway, which is due to start this month.
The airport falls in the Paterson electorate.
The Nationals leader will also announce $56 million to ease congestion on Mandalong Road at Morisset after Labor committed $30 million to the project last month
Meanwhile, Anthony Albanese will announce Cessnock Hospital will host a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic if it wins government.
The hospital is in the heart of Hunter electorate
Cessnock is the first clinic named under Labor's $135 million four-year plan.
Labor holds the seat of Hunter by just 3 per cent, while Meryl Swanson holds Paterson for the ALP by a margin of 5 per cent.
 | ||
| Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce |
 |
| Labor leader Anthony Albanese |
