Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips MP has welcomed the announcement that $145 million will be brought forward to upgrade the Princes Highway including the Milton-Ulladulla Bypass to fix it faster.

Since being elected as Member for Gilmore in May, Fiona Phillips has been calling on the Morrison Government to urgently bring forward the funding for the highway, offering to work with all levels of government to get it done.

Mrs Phillips said this announcement will be welcome relief for the local community, however further clarity is needed on when the project will be completed and how much will be spent immediately.

During the election campaign, the Liberal-National Government made a bipartisan commitment of $500 million to the Princes Highway, with $400 million to be put towards the bypass.

In July, Mrs Phillips wrote to the Minister urging him to progress the project as soon as possible and she has also raised the issue in the parliament on many occasions. She also wrote to all the local state MPs offering to work with them to bring forward the funding to fix the highway faster.

“I have used every available opportunity to bring this important local issue to the government’s attention and to get results for our local community,” Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips said.

“I am absolutely thrilled that the government has finally listened to what we have been saying for so long - that we need to fix it faster for the good of the economy and most importantly to save lives of people on our roads,”

“I will continue to work constructively with the government on this vitally important issue and will continue advocating for further improvements like the Jervis Bay Road intersection,” she said.

“I will be asking the government to provide further details on what this means for the immediate future and when we can expect works to be completed, given not all the necessary funds have been released,” 

“I will continue to do what the people of Gilmore have elected me to do – fight for them in Canberra – to get results for them locally” Fiona Phillips said.