Ms Abbott was joined by the Minister for Roads, Melinda Pavey, Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer and duty MLC Catherine Cusack in Tanilba Bay where the party announced that a re-elected NSW Liberal and National government would spend $1 billion over the next five years to fix country roads and bridges.

Ms Abbott said roads such as the Avenue of Allies in Tanilba Bay was in urgent need of maintenance and would be prioritised under the the Liberal Party's new $500 million Fixing Local Roads program.

“I have been out knocking on doors all around my electorate and one of the top concerns of Port Stephens’ residents is the state of our roads,” Ms Abbott said.

“This funding will ease the pressure on Port Stephens ratepayers and councils."

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The program would help councils repair, maintain and seal roads in regional areas while the $500m Fixing Country Bridges program would fund the replacement of the worst timber bridges in regional and rural communities.

Funding would be allocated to councils through tender and consultation process.

The Liberals also committed to setting up an independent expert panel to oversee the transfer of up to 15,000km of regional roads currently maintained by council back into the states hands.

Local Government NSW welcomed the Liberals' announcement but said it would only make a difference if it was “new money” added to the existing Fixing Local Roads and Fixing Country Bridges programs.

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“There has long been an urgent need for additional funding for rural and regional roads in NSW, and it’s been top of both the sector and the community’s priority lists for many years,” the peak body’s president Linda Scott said.

Joined by Crs Palmer and Giacomo Arnott in Raymond Terrace on Monday morning, Ms Washington pledged that if a Labor government was elected on March 23 the council would receive $6 million to fix the LGA’s worst roads. 

Ms Washington said the money would help the council halve the Port's road maintenance backlog highlighted in the NRMA’s recent Funding Local Roads report. 

“The state of our roads is one of the most frequent issues raised with me by residents. Labor has listened and we’ll help Port Stephens Council make our roads safer," she said.

“This extra money will allow Port Stephens Council to halve its road maintenance backlog. It means our worst local roads will finally get the repairs they desperately need.”

The $6m would be part of Labor’s $900 million Fixing Regional Local Roads program. About $81 million would be spent to make repairs and upgrades across the Hunter road network.