Rebuilding New South Wales, including improved health services and roads for the people of the Port Macquarie electorate, is what the latest NSW Budget promises, Local MP Leslie Williams said on Tuesday. Treasurer Mike Baird has funded a range of projects in the electorate which honour election commitments with a total of $80.2 million allocated for the electorate. “Rebuilding NSW means repairing what was left behind, improving services and building the infrastructure the people of NSW need,” Mrs Williams said. Mrs Williams said, “The Budget delivers 900 more teachers, 2475 more nurses and 550 police officers and a record infrastructure investment to address the building backlog left by Labor. “Spending on hospitals and health capital works over the next four years is $4.7 billion — 50 per cent higher than over the last four years. “Locally, $16 million will be spent this year expanding services at Port Macquarie Base Hospital at a total cost of $110 million. This project will provide significant new purpose-built infrastructure and refurbishment of some of the existing hospital to provide the fourth and fifth ‘clinical services pods’. “The Budget invests more than $1 billion to the long-awaited upgrade of the Pacific Highway, increasing the NSW Government commitment by 94 per cent from 2009 to 2014. “On the Oxley Highway, $23 million will be spent this year to complete construction of the upgrade between Wrights Road and the Pacific Highway and $178,000 to construct passing lanes between the Pacific Highway and Wauchope,” Mrs Williams said. “On the Pacific Highway, $28 million has also been allocated for the continuation of the construction of dual carriageway upgrade between Herons Creek and Stills Road. Meanwhile an additional $12.8 million is being spent planning for the upgrade of Pacific Highway between the Oxley Highway and Kempsey. Other roadworks include $650,000 for pavement rebuilding on the Oxley Highway at Sarahs Creek, $539,000 to repair the Dennis Bridge and $500,000 on the Pacific Highway and Houston Mitchell Drive intersection. “Stingray Creek Bridge is a priority, with the Budget providing a $3.2 million contribution this year for the project to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.” “More than $11.9 million has also been allocated in the Budget for ongoing construction of social housing units in Port Macquarie. “$910,000 has been granted for the restoration of natural disaster damage to roads and bridges along with $760,000 in grants for council’s regional roads. “$2.8 million will be spent on routine and minor maintenance works on state roads in the electorate. Additional expenditure in the Port Macquarie electorate includes: nPort Macquarie Regional Cancer Centre – $260,000 allocated in 2011-12 for completion. n$2.1 million boost in funding for Community Transport to local services including those provided by Hastings Macleay and Manning Valley Community Transport. “The Budget also includes a five-year $2 billion program for disability services, which is the largest funding commitment to disability services made in the nation’s history. “Locally this means $709,625 for a new five-bed group home for people with a disability in Port Macquarie. “The Port Macquarie Courthouse will also be refurbished along with improved access at a cost of $1 million.”
