Notorious black spots get funds

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Dozens of roads across the state are getting a much needed upgrade, including Maitland Vale Road in the Hunter.

Maitland Vale Road is a notorious black spot and it's been noticed by the Federal Government with a $775,000 funding injection announced to fix it.

The government is undertaking 52 black spot road projects throughout NSW under the Black Spot Project over the next 12 months. The government say the project reduces fatalities by 30 per cent and with 249 injury crashes across the 52 black spot projects, funding couldn't have come much sooner.

Federal Member for Lyne David Gillespie says the roads decided on for the black spot funding are based on risk and previous accidents and both fatality and serious injury numbers in the area.

"Road networks are so important because everyone travels them, road accidents can be fatal, the damage to individuals and families from road accidents is really distressing. The coalition government is committed to and have increased roads to recovery funding and black spot funding,"

"We would like to see better infrastructure cross Australia but we target in this program the most dangerous spots and it doesn't replace existing state government funding or council funding, its extra funds targeted at the most dangerous places," said Lyne MP David Gillespie.

State Labor Calls For More Funding For Bucketts Way

BY IAN CROUCH

The state opposition is accusing the Baird government of ignoring the Bucketts Way in the latest round of Fixing Country Roads funding.

The Bucketts Way stretches from 12 Mile Creek at Port Stephens through Gloucester to Taree and is an important arterial road for freight transport and tourism.

However, it's also notoriously dangerous and regarded by the NRMA has one of the worst roads in the state.

Already this year, the road has claimed 3 lives - 23-year-old Matthew Ratley from Cameron Park died on May 21 when his Holden Commodore hit a tree at Gloucester. 25-year-old Bryce Parry of Merewether was killed on June 19 when his car crashed off the road near Stroud. Just four days later, 53-year-old Frederick Turner of Killaware died when his utility hit a power pole at Gloucester.

Shadow Hunter Minister, Kate Washington is supporting calls from the Gloucester community to install 3 passing lanes on the Bucketts Way at a cost of just over $6 million - 2 at Limeburners Creek and 1 at Weismantels to improve safety.

She says the projects are shovel ready and both Mid Coast and Port Stephens Councils have offered a cash and in-kind component to the work.

"Both (councils) see the Bucketts Way upgrade as its priority and it's not being reflected in the state government or federal government for that matter as well. We don;t care where the money comes from, we just need to see the road upgraded so it improves safety for all users," she said.

However, federal member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie says the Turnbull government is already spending millions to upgrade the Bucketts Way on top of funding provided from the Roads to Recovery and Black Spot programs.

"I've got $17 million extra that was not out of any program. It's just sheer political will and campaigning over two elections to get that delivered onto the Bucketts Way and I'll continue to fight for any funds that I can secure in any shape or form," he said.

Port Stephens Mp, Kate Washington

Federal Lyne Mp, Dr David Gillespie