STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr GEE (Calare) (13:36): The Bathurst 1000 on the weekend was an outstanding success, but, as we watched the long queues of cars struggling to get back over the sandstone curtain, we were once again reminded of the failure of successive governments to deliver a permanent high-speed connection to Sydney. This is a failure on the part of government. It's negligence on the part of government, pure and simple.

We've got businesses going broke, lives and livelihoods upended and destroyed and no plan or vision for the future of this vitally important national road corridor. What really infuriates our communities is that we see billions upon billions being poured into gold-plated tunnels and motorways in Sydney and to the north and south coasts, yet our region is treated as an afterthought.

You cannot fix a major artery with a bandaid, which is what's currently happening with the patch-up job on the broken 1832 convict bridge. Maybe we should get the convicts back, because it seems they were the last ones with any vision for that road! It's a disgraceful way to treat a region that contributes so much to the wealth and prosperity of our state and nation.

The Great Western Highway must urgently be designated a national infrastructure priority. It must be backed by serious state and federal funding. Our businesses must receive the support they need and deserve.

We've had enough of the cheap words and the empty promises. This debacle is an ongoing disgrace. Fix it.