Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has announced that if elected the coalition will commit to over $2 million in road funding and over $1.7 million for community infrastructure.
According to Mr McCormack the Coalition has committed to $2,104,387 for roads and $1,770,968 for community infrastructure to Hilltops Council if they are re-elected in the upcoming election this May.
Mr McCormack said the more than $27 million for the Riverina electorate will be in the renewal of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program with $1 billion if they are put back into power.
"This funding will be split through two dedicated funding streams, each worth $500 million," Mr McCormack said.
"These are Resilience and Community Infrastructure Stream - open to all councils, this stream will help strengthen communities against natural disasters and fund essential infrastructure to support local growth and Roads Stream - targeted to regional councils to fix potholes, maintain and improve local roads."
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Mr McCormack said the Coalition is committed to the funding in the upcoming financial year.
"Funding will be delivered in one round, for 2025-26, upon the election of a Coalition Government," Mr McCormack said.
"I have reached out to every Mayor in the redistributed Riverina electorate to inform them of the announcement.
"Judging by the response I've heard so far, I can confidently say Councils are excited to see this funding come through."
Mr McCormack said he hopes to renew the program that he says he was a part of developing.
"I am very proud that the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program was first established whilst I was the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development," he said.
"The program delivered vital upgrades across our country but was inexplicably axed as part of Labor's most recent Budget."
Mr McCormack said he and his cohorts have been taking on the feedback they have received from locals within their electorates.
"The Coalition and I have been listening to the concerns of ordinary, hard working Australians," he said.
"We hear the concerns about the state of regional roads, we hear the concerns about the lack of investment into the regions by Labor, we know regional Australia deserves the same level of investment as the big cities."
Mr McCormack said he doesn't believe that Labor will ever fight for regional Australia because 'they believe they can maintain Government by pandering to inner-city Greens voters.'
Other local shires have had commitments made as well with Cootamundra-Gundagai promised $1,171,100 for roads and $985,552 for community infrastructure, Weddin Shire Council has been promised $745,948 for roads and $635,335 for community infrastructure, Cowra Shire Council has been promised $1,087,803 for roads and $915,452 for community infrastructure.
The largest amounts promised in the Riverina electorate were Wagga Wagga City Council with $2,436,782 for roads and $2,050,700 for community infrastructure totaling $4,487,482 and the $3,875,355 total for Hilltops Council.
