Yesterday’s announcement is part of $40 million in funding from the new Hunter Infrastructure Fund, funded by consolidated revenue and is not a diversion of any other money.

The remaining $20 million will be spent on the road linking Raymond Terrace to Dungog.

Member for Upper Hunter George Souris was joined by coalition roads shadow minister Andrew Stoner in the Hunter to make the announcements.

Mr Souris said the decision to upgrade Broke Road followed many discussion with stakeholders in the tourism and wine industry in Broke and Pokolbin.

“It will connect the Golden Highway with the F3, there will be an offload ramp off the F3 extension which will feed people through to the Pokolbin, Broke and Milbrodale regions,” Mr Souris said.

“this area is a well world known tourist destination and we have had many meetings with those in the viticulture, restaurant, tourism and accommodation industries to talk about what is needed and they identify that the road network is hopeless,” he said.

Both roads at Broke and Dungog are the responsibility of local governments but neither would have the substantial funds needed to bring the network up to the desired standard.

“They possibly could but it would mean little or no money spent on other roads,” he said.

Neither projects have had any design or engineering work but Mr Souris was confident the $20 million figure was adequate to do the job.

He expected the shoulders would be widened, pavement quality improved and black spots ironed out in the projects.

Mr Souris said the work in Dungog would offset some of the challenges the community had faced in recent times.

“They have had the deregulation of the dairy industry, loss of the timber industry and economic impact from the decision not to build Tilegra dam,” he said.

Dungog and Gloucester are the only two shires in New South Wales that have no state funded highway.

“It means these districts are 100 per cent responsible for all their roads and with improved road network, we could expect to see further development such as education campus’,” Mr Souris said.