Labor has marked Goulburn as a battleground for next year’s State election with shadow ministers expected to make further forays into the electorate to support their candidate.

Labor candidate for Goulburn, Dr Ursula Stephens invited Shadow Minister for Transport and Shadow Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Jodi McKay on Wednesday to discuss the Illawarra Highway upgrade, the Sydney to Canberra corridor and impacts to the local taxi cooperative.

It followed a visit by Labor spokesperson for Primary Industries and Lands Mick Veitch on Tuesday.

“You will see Goulburn as the background for the Labor party,” Ms McKay said during her visit. “We want to make sure that this area is looked after.”

Dr Stephens said a number of issues were raised during the Goulburn Taxi owner cooperative and transport meeting, namely, the impacts on local drivers following the introduction of the extra $1.10 fee to accommodate share riding apps like Uber.

Members of the Southern Tablelands Rail Users Group, who have historically lobbied for electrifying the train network, voiced their concerns with the existing train service and future plans for the soon-to-be replaced XPLORER trains.

“I’m doing everything I can to make the people confident that there is a strong opposition to step up and move to government,” she said.

“There’s got to be a comprehensive strategy...investments need to be in country rail and country services. There’s no miracle cure.”

But Liberal Member for Goulburn Pru Goward said she was “not worried” the ALP was campaigning in her seat.

Related stories: Claims are ‘unproductive and damaging’ says Goward

“The electorate has woken up to the Labor candidate’s untruthful scare campaigns and it’s obviously damaging her brand,” Ms Goward said.

“If Labor hasn’t offered anything to Goulburn why should we take anything they say seriously?

“I’d like to remind the electorate that when Labor was in government the services to the regions were cut. Neither the Labor candidate nor the shadow minister have anything to be proud of.”

Additional services without additional changes was an impossible task according to the MP, who described the state government as being in a “strong economic position".

“This will enable us to offer more services in future. But meanwhile, these incredible new bus services will be a great addition,” she said.

“Provision of additional rail services on a very slow track to Sydney, which is owned by Australian Rail Track Corporation, not us, is very complex and difficult. This is a battle I’ve been waging for 11 years and these trials are a promising start.”

She said she had lobbied Ministers about the introduced state-wide taxi fee.

“ [I] appreciate their concerns but I’m assured it applies across the state and to all taxi and Uber services alike,” she said.