Property Council Illawarra Shoalhaven Regional Director Matthew Wales said Heathcote Road was an important connection for Illawarra residents and formed part of the broader road network connecting the region with Western Sydney.
"This is a positive investment in one of the important road connections used by people travelling between the Illawarra and Sydney, and the additional overtaking capacity will be appreciated by motorists who use this route," Mr Wales said.
"There is a bigger opportunity too – as Western Sydney International Airport and the Aerotropolis become major centres of economic activity, the roads connecting the Illawarra to Western Sydney will become increasingly important to our region's future."
Mr Wales said the Property Council wanted to see today's announcement matched with commitments to a sustained investment program in the infrastructure connecting the Illawarra to the rest of NSW.
"The Illawarra has enormous strengths in Port Kembla, advanced manufacturing, industry, housing and a skilled workforce. Better connections to Western Sydney can open those strengths to new markets, jobs and investment.
"We should see Heathcote Road as part of that bigger connectivity picture, alongside the staged upgrade of Picton Road, better freight connections and ultimately faster public transport connections with Western Sydney Airport.
"Picton Road remains a particularly important piece of that puzzle. It is already a major commuter and freight corridor between the Illawarra, the Hume Motorway and Western Sydney, and its strategic importance will only increase as the new airport and Aerotropolis grow.".
"Today we are seeing real investment and construction beginning on Heathcote Road, and we want that to be the start of a broader pipeline of transport investment that connects the Illawarra north and west and supports the next generation of housing, jobs and economic growth.
"The Illawarra's future economic success will increasingly depend on how well connected we are to the opportunities developing around Western Sydney. Let's keep investing and make sure our region is positioned to capture them."
