THE HON ANTHONY ALBANESE MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, CITIES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SHADOW MINISTER FOR TOURISM

MEMBER FOR GRAYNDLER

STEPHEN JONES MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL SERVICES, TERRITORIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

MEMBER FOR WHITLAM

FIONA PHILLIPS

LABOR CANDIDATE FOR GILMORE

A Shorten Labor Government will invest up to $50 million to assist build a new concrete bridge over the Shoalhaven River at Nowra as an alternative to the existing ageing and increasingly congested iron truss bridge.

The existing bridge was constructed more than 130 years ago and is fast approaching the end of its useful life. Already it is straining under the weight of the almost 50,000 vehicles that use it every day a figure thats only likely to grow in the years ahead.

Bill Shorten was in Nowra just last month and heard directly from the local community about the need to get on with building a new bridge over the Shoalhaven River.

In office, Federal Labor will partner with the NSW Government to do precisely that.

Todays announcement is also a tribute to the unrelenting lobbying efforts of Federal Labor candidate for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips. Already she has proven to be a strong voice for her local community.

Next weeks Federal Budget will be a test for the Turnbull Government. After almost four years in office, the time has come for them to stop talking about the infrastructure the South Coast needs and actually build it. Any further delays would simply be unacceptable.

For our part, Federal Labor is committed to investing in the modern infrastructure that will make peoples lives easier, our businesses more competitive and our regional economies stronger.

The new bridge will be built upstream from the existing crossing, with the necessary planning work already well advanced.