The Nationals have broken a promise by failing to get work started on a Bells Line Expressway, member for Orange Philip Donato has said.
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Mr Donato said the government has had long enough to get the ball rolling, and was now dragging its feet.
“They have been in power since 2011 and nothing has happened,” Mr Donato said.
“And it isn’t a new concept, this has been around for 15 years or more.”
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party representative said he wanted to see the expressway built.
“The time has come,” Mr Donato said.
“It’s important for the region to be able to develop. It’s important for transport and freight, and for improving accessibility to the metropolitan area. It would be much quicker, more efficient and safer
“The current routes are slow and tedious, with variable speed limits. If the western region was to get the Bells Line Expressway or another fast link to Sydney, it would bring economic growth.”
Mr Donato said an expressway would encourage decentralisation and give Sydneysiders looking for a change of scenery extra incentive if they could still have easy access to the capital.
While the government has shied away from firm commitment to an expressway, it has committed to building two new stadiums in Sydney at a cost of $2 billion.
Mr Donato said if that money was put towards an expressway it would be much more beneficial for the entire state.
“I can’t see the cost-benefit of knocking down two stadiums and replacing them when you could put that money towards a nation-building project that would have regional, state and national benefits,” he said.
Mr Donato said he would want the expressway to run between Richmond and Lithgow first, with scope to take it further west in the future.
“Getting through the mountains has to be the priority,” the Orange MP said.
“If you get that link between Hartley and Windsor or Richmond, that’s the most difficult section.
“West of Lithgow is reasonably flat so you can do that later.”
Mr Donato vowed to keep the pressure on the government.
“There is no reason we can’t do this,” he said.
“In Europe they would just tunnel through, they’d get it done. We’ve got the ability, not it’s just a matter of doing it.
