Roads Minister Melinda Pavey has taken a swipe at her predecessor Duncan Gay during a trip to Dubbo, saying there were never any plans to reduce the speed limit on the Newell Highway.
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Last week Mr Gay sent a flier to Dubbo households asking them to sign a petition against a reduction in the speed limit on the Newell Highway from 110 kilometres an hour to 100km/h.
Ms Pavey joined Dubbo MP Troy Grant and Roads and Maritime Services officials in investigating some of the works that had been carried out on the Newell, including the intersection with Blackbutt Road.
She said there was no proposal to reduce speed limits.
“This government is investing in infrastructure to make NSW roads safer and this $3 million upgrade is a large part of that commitment,” Mrs Pavey said.
“It is not about restricting motorists by changing the speed limits on the Newell. We have never had any plans to do this. What we are doing is improving infrastructure on the 1060 kilometre stretch of highway to make it safer and more efficient for its users.”
More than half a billion dollars of upgrades to the Newell Highway have helped to halve the number of crashes, Ms Pavey said.
The $3 million upgrade to the intersection near the Kintyre Country Living retirement village is the most recent of the works to be carried out.
“The Newell Highway is the road and freight backbone of inland NSW between Queensland and Victoria. It’s the longest Highway in the State,” Ms Pavey said.
“Any life lost on NSW roads is one too many. That’s why for the past six years we have invested over $500 million in upgrades and safety improvements for the Newell Highway.
“This work has helped us reduce the annual crash rate of the former government by an average of 50 per cent.”
Mr Grant said the Blackbutt intersection upgrade had been fast-tracked because of growth at Kintyre.
“As Dubbo expands, new construction projects pop up. The Kintyre area of Dubbo is growing, residents and visitors deserve the peace of mind of knowing they have a safer route onto a busy road,” he said.
“Improving safety and access in to and out of this part of Dubbo was the key driver for the project, as traffic has been increasing steadily since the new retirement village opened.”
