The Monaro MP and Deputy Premier of NSW shared a petition in support of a NSW Government Grant for the road in the ‘Braidwood Ratepayers and Locals Group’ on Facebook on May 10. The post asked locals to sign and share the document.

“The response from community has been overwhelming,” Mr Barilaro said, with residents, business owners and tourists all supporting the project.

It’s an unusual move for a member of parliament to petition an agency within his own government. However, Mr Barilaro believes that with the demonstrated support of the community, he can put forward a strong case for upgrades to the road. 

“QPRC has identified Nerriga Road as a top priority and my role as the Local Member is to secure funding to make it a reality,” he said.

Mr Barilaro plans to take the petition personally to Melinda Pavey, the NSW Roads Minister, to put forward a case for allocating a significant amount of funding towards to road in this year’s state budget. He hopes to see the road fully sealed, as well as several bridges replaced. 

According to Mr Barilaro, the petition had received over 250 responses, with a support rate of 99.5 per cent.

A link to the petition can be found here.