"Far more money has been spent in this electorate and in around Tamworth then there ever has been before."
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While more capital expenditure gets announced for New England highways, it's hasn't been all about roads.
MP Barnaby Joyce was pleased to note Tamworth and Armidale businesses can now apply to get their NBN upgraded - free of upfront costs.
Businesses can order high-speed fibre broadband as NBN Co rolls out new Business Fibre Zones to help boost economic growth and productivity during COVID-19.
In Tamworth, businesses from the airport to Taminda and into town will be able to take advantage of the speed increase.
In Armidale, coverage will extend to most of the city including Acacia Park Industrial Estate.
Hitting back at the Federal Labour Party who said the upgrades were "too late" and should have been done from the outset, Mr Joyce told the Leader the government's vision was "2020" and not hindsight.
"We could've built Dungowan Dam before, we could've built mobile phone towers before, we could've upgraded the highway before ... we could all use the before argument," he said heatedly.
"But our vision goes to the future, it's not retrospective.
"Far more money has been spent in this electorate and in around Tamworth then there ever has been before."
One such item of pride was the $43 million in government funding announced yesterday for the Bolivia Hill upgrade on New England Highway.
He said the Bolivia Hill boost would ensure the project was delivered "despite a number of required design and delivery challenges".
The Bolivia Realignment project involves the widening of around 2.1 kilometres of the New England Highway and the construction of a 320 metre long bridge.
In the trucking business, Eric Turner of Kimeric Transport said while their business had been put on pause after the drought, he still travels the stretch of road as a contractor.
Anything that benefits the region like this is a good thing ... it will make the road a lot safer once it's completed.
- Eric Turner
"Anything that benefits the region like this is a good thing ... it will make the road a lot safer once it's completed."
Shovels hit the ground on the project in July 2018, but the works have been beleaguered by drought and bushfire, and have suffered a number of setbacks as a result.
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Mr Joyce said this funding, in addition to $55 million already delivered for these works, will help put it back on track.
The announcement comes on the back of money announced for the Scone Bypass as well as the delivery of the $560 million for the Singleton Bypass on the New England Highway.
