BY JESSICA ROUSE

A re-elected Turnbull government will commit $15 million to elevating Cessnock Road at Testers Hollow.

Minister for Major Projects Paul Fletcher alongside Liberal Candidate for Paterson Karen Howard, announced this morning that the funding is available and will cover 80 per-cent of the full cost of the project.

The minister says he is confident the funding will successfully mitigate flood risk in the area.

“The flood events of the kind that we saw last year will be very much mitigated. This is a plan so that residents, for example here in Gillieston Heights, won’t face the same risk of being cut off for several days as occurred last year.”

The growing suburb of Gillieston Heights was cut off for six days after devastating floods left them isolated in April last year.

“I want to emphasise, every commitment we make falls within our overall plan and our budgetary commitments. This commitment that we’re making today, this commitment to spend $15 million in elevating Cessnock Road at Testers Hollow meets and fits within our overall plan.”