Pictured: Former Member for Lismore, Thomas George, Tenterfield Shire Council Mayor, Peter Petty, and Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce cut the ribbon this afternoon on the upgraded Mount Lindesay Road intersection. 

 

Motorists travelling on the Mount Lindesay Road at Legume, north of Tenterfield, are enjoying a safer and more efficient journey, following the official opening of a new intersection at Killarney Road.

 

Federal Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, joined Tenterfield Shire Council Mayor, Peter Petty, Chief Executive, Terry Dodds, Councillors, community members and the Woodenbong Road Stakeholders Group, to help cut the ribbon on the $952,000 intersection.

 

“This is part of the $24 million upgrade of the Mount Lindesay Road, between Legume and Woodenbong - money which was jointly funded by the Federal and NSW Governments,” Mr Joyce said.

 

“Within the New England Electorate, I have been concentrating on east to west roads - Legume to Woodenbong, Kempsey to Armidale, and Gloucester to Scone.  This is on top of the major road arterial spine – the New England Highway - where we are racing ahead with the completion of the Bolivia Hill upgrade, the Tenterfield Bypass, and Scone Bypass, as well as an extra $140 million yet to be allocated to the New England Highway.” 

 

The intersection at Legume and a section of road immediately to its east, comprise the second major works to be completed under this round of funding.  In December last year, 2.4 kilometres of road 27 kilometres east of Legume, was upgraded at a cost of $3.5 million.

 

Cr Petty said he was honoured to have been Mayor all through the current Legume to Woodenbong Road project. 

 

“This work has always had the full support of Council, with the NSW and Australian governments both working together as they should.  The reconstruction of the intersection of Mt Lindesay and Killarney Roads is just another part of this project and to see the standard of work done has only added to the overall commitment to improving safety and the standard of road we provide,” Cr Petty said. 

 

Work began on the Legume intersection in May this year and was completed in September. 

 

NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Roads and Infrastructure, Chris Gulaptis, said work was needed to improve the existing road, which was narrow with poor road surface condition.

 

”This recent upgrade continues the work to make it smoother and safer for the motorists, freight drivers and tourists who use this route to connect from the Southern Darling Downs to the Northern Rivers,” Mr Gulaptis said.

 

Mr Joyce said the project is not only improving safety for motorists, it’s helping build our corridor of commerce from the Tablelands to the coast for the benefit of industry and local business in the New England Electorate. 

 

“As the upgrades progress, the road is becoming safer and more attractive for the movement of freight,” Mr Joyce said. 

                                                                                                                                                                               

Development work is continuing on the remaining sections of Mt Lindesay Road, including Legume East, Koreelah Creek and Big Hill, with the start of work subject to availability of an adequate water supply.