Federal Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie joined Port Stephens Council Capital Works Section Manager Phil Miles and Councillor Paul Le Mottee  to inspect the recently completed works.

“This latest project is part of council’s overall plan to seal its section of East Seaham Road south of Clarence Town,” Dr Gillespie said.

“The latest works have involved the widening, reshaping and sealing of a 760-metre section of East Seaham Road about 3.7-km north of Italia Road, building on the works already undertaken under council’s sealing program.”

Funding from the Federal Coalition Government’s Roads to Recovery Programme is provided to all local government authorities to assist them maintain and upgrade their local roads.

In the 2017-18 Budget, the Coalition Government confirmed its commitment to provide an additional $50 million on an ongoing basis to the Roads to Recovery Programme from 2019-20, to bring the annual allocation to $400 million across all councils in Australia.

Funding for the programme from 2013-14 to 2020-21 is $4.4 billion. This is in addition to other Federal funding initiatives such as Federal Financial Assistance Grants, Road Blackspots and Bridges Renewal programmes.

“We’re increasing funding for local roads and bridges at the Federal level, and I am delighted to see projects that are critical to improving the overall local road network, such as the East Seaham Road upgrade, included in council’s Roads to Recovery works programme,” Dr Gillespie added.