A project to improve safety and productivity in the Werris Creek Economic Precinct will soon get underway with an additional $4.5 million provided to Liverpool Plains Shire Council.
Nationals Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said the NSW Nationals in Government were providing an additional $4.5 million through the Fixing Country Roads program to drive the local economy and make the road safer for residents and truck drivers.
"This is great news for Werris Creek as this new road will improve truckies' safety, access to the site, and drive regional growth and economic development, it's a real boost for Werris Creek," Mr Anderson said.
"This upgrade will complete a vision for a thriving industrial precinct and freight hub in Werris Creek that will support the growth of local industries and provide a boost to the local economy.
"The current access route is narrow and unsafe. When two trucks arrive or leave the freight hub at the same time they can be forced to queue dangerously close to one of two level train crossings on the same stretch."
Nationals Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said The Nationals' $543 million Fixing Country Roads program provides funding to councils to deliver improvements to key road freight routes.
"Moving freight faster and more efficiently reduces the cost of getting goods to market, keeping our state moving forward," Mr Farraway said.
"It means more dollars in producers' pockets and more competitive prices at the cash register.
"Fixing Country Roads also delivers benefits for all regional road users, including school bus drivers and rural communities who use these roads on a daily basis."
Liverpool Plains Shire Mayor Doug Hawkins OAM said the upgrades would support the shire's primary producers.
"We are very pleased to be able to support the intermodal link and the increasing number of farmers who are starting to rely heavily on it for their trucks," Mayor Hawkins said.
"Importantly this upgrade will ensure it is safe for all users and ultimately will help boost the local economy in this part of our Shire by reducing the cost for our farmers to get their produce to market."
Liverpool Shire Council also received more than $1.5 million under a previous round of Fixing Country Roads to construct and seal Williewarina Road, which was completed in 2020.
The additional $4.5 million for the Werris Creek economic precinct comes after the NSW Government's NSW Government's Growing Local Economies Fund provided $7.2 million for the Werris Creek Economic Precinct in 2020.
