Deputy Prime Minister and Member for New England Barnaby Joyce, NSW Minister for Roads and Freight Duncan Gay and Member for Lismore Thomas George were in Tenterfield to make the commitment.

The Legume to Woodenbong segment will be completed “under a re-elected federal Coalition government” Mr Joyce stated.

The funding, $12 million from the federal government and the other half from the NSW government, is expected to allow the realignment, construction and renewal of a further 42 kilometres.

“This project is shovel-ready,” Mr Joyce said.

“The road is narrow, windy and undulating with poor pavement condition. This funding can ensure we finish this job.

“We promised we’d do our very best and go into bat and do whatever was in our power so we can get this main artery which is so important in connecting the Southern Downs and Northern Rivers.”

Mr Joyce couldn’t help but take a swipe at his predecessor and current election challenger Tony Windsor.

“There’s no point in politics to have a prima donna that’s going to sit out there as a complaints desk, a suggestion box, commenting on everything, delivering on nothing.

“It’s better to make sure you get with a team of people who actually see this and actually go into bat and say let’s fight for this.

“This delivery is not really for votes, to be honest there’s vastly more votes in other places. We’re delivering this because it’s right and proper and the good thing to do and because it has been so vastly ignored by previous members,” Mr Joyce said.

To date, $5 million had been kicked in by the NSW government since 2011.

“The NSW Government and Tenterfield Shire Council have been working closely together to carry out extensive safety works such as replacing old gravel road to bitumen and widening the narrow road to improve line of sight and on more than 11.3 kilometres of Mt Lindesay Road,” Mr Gay said.

Member for Lismore Thomas George said he’d been attending meetings to discuss funding for this road for 20 years and Thursday’s announcement was a “dream come true” for residents and road users.

“This road is a vital link for the increasing number of local traffic, industry and tourists who use this road as the connector from South East QLD down to the Northern Rivers,” Mr George said.

“Today’s commitment is an example of a three way partnership between governments at all levels to deliver results for the community, something an independent has been previously unable to do.”

Tenterfield Shire mayor Peter Petty welcomed the funding announcement, describing it as great news.

“The Mt Lindesay Road has been an issue for decades and its great news that Barnaby, as our MP, has been working so closely with Minister Gay and Thomas George to lobby for this funding.

“I thank you all from the bottom of my heart,” Cr Petty said.