General News
23 December, 2024
BEST OF 2024: National Park Road to be sealed
Major works to seal National Park Road commenced in the third quarter of 2024.
First published July 19, 2024.
The two state representatives visited Gilgandra yesterday (Monday, July 15) to officially turn the sod on the road upgrade.
National Park Road is a crucial regional route providing essential access to the north of the Gilgandra shire. Located in a major grain producing area, it also supports multiple school bus routes and serves as an alternative route for visitors to the Warrumbungle National Park.
The upcoming and long-awaited road upgrade will include the sealing of 12.5 kilometres of unsealed sections of the road, enhancing its resilience against future weather events and improving travel conditions. Works will also include formation widening with the addition of pavement and seal.
The total cost of this project is $4,878,344, with the NSW government providing $3 million through the Fixing Local Roads Program, the Australian government contributing $878,444 through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, and $999,900 in council funding.
Minister Aitchison said the National Park Road upgrade will deliver improved safety for motorists and reduced travel times. “I’m so pleased to visit Gilgandra to see the start of work on this important upgrade, which will greatly improve local travel and transport links,” minister Aitchison said.
“The NSW Labor government is proud to be investing in regional road upgrades like this that help improve access to education, employment, economic and tourism opportunities.” Member for Barwon Roy Butler said upgrading the unsealed roads is very important for his constituents.
“With the NSW government funding, we expect to see many more kilometres of sealed roads to be constructed in the near future. Reliable, all-weather roads mean that councils spend less time and money grading unsealed roads, and producers and the general public have safer, more dependable transport routes.”
Gilgandra Shire Council mayor Doug Batten said the sealing of unsealed sections of National Park Road will provide opportunities for regional development and tourism, as well as supporting local rural families through regional connectivity and sustainability of the road network.
“National Park Road provides vital access to Curban, Armatree, Gilgandra, and Gulargambone silos. This project is essential in supporting the local agricultural industry in grain distribution by providing a safe and reliable route,” mayor Batten said.
“Families in the Curban and Tooraweenah area along this road will have improved access to health and education facilities through reduced travel times and all-weather access, leading to greater liveability for this region,” he said.
“At present motorists have no alternate routes to these centres when the road is closed due to inclement weather. Upgrades to the road network allow small rural communities to grow and thrive, in a time where grasping employment and alternative business opportunities is key.”
