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Federal opposition leader Bill Shorten has promised $50 million towards the creation of a dual carriageway along the notorious Appin Road should Labor be elected following the July 2 election. Mr Shorten made the announcement during a visit to Campbelltown – his second in about a month. “We are committed to improving the safety in this rapidly expanding part of Sydney,” he said. “Once upon a time this town connected a town to a village but now it’s estimated that in coming years there will be an additional 35,000 households south of Campbelltown. “We want to improve road safety and make it easy for people to have a quality of life and to get to and from work.” The entire project is estimated to cost about $200 million and would need contributions from the state government and other organisations. Labor’s transport spokesman Anthony Albanese said the roads upgrade was a must. “This project has been identified by the NRMA as one of the absolute priorities because of the terrible road safety record that exists on Appin Road,” he said. “Along that corridor there will be 35,000 new homes and that’s why in terms of this announcement we expect it to be matched by the state government and then there will be a private contribution.” Macarthur’s Labor candidate Dr Michael Freelander said it was a “huge announcement” for the region. “The most important thing is lives will be saved,” he said. “There have been 36 people who have died on the road in the last 10 or 15 years. “We need contributions from everyone – state government and local government. “I think the state government has really struggled to offer so far much but I know Greg Warren our Labor member for Campbelltown has been lobbying hard (for funding for the road).” Hume’s Labor candidate Aoife Champion also praised the funding announcement. “Pleas by (Appin) residents such as John and Sue Gay, with whom I have met, have for years fallen on the deaf ears,” she said. “I'm heartbroken every time I hear of another death on that narrow, light flickered, unforgiving, undulating road. “I want those reports to be a thing of the past. “All parties need to work together to save lives in Hume and Macarthur and solve this problem once and for all.” Campbelltown councillor Fred Borg (Independent) – a former resident of Appin – has campaigned for decades to have the road converted into a dual carriageway. While he welcomed the announcement, he said “seeing is believing”. “Lots of promises are made at election time,” he said. “It’s a good time to make promises but promises need to be kept.”

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