Port Stephens Council will deliver safety upgrades on three roads, helping protect local drivers and improve road safety.
The projects are supported by a combined $2.4 million from the Australian Government's 2026–27 Black Spot Program, and will target sections of Frost Road in Anna Bay, Newline Road in East Seaham and Lemon Tree Passage Road in Salt Ash.
Meryl Swanson MP, Federal Member for Paterson, said people in Port Stephens know these roads well, and they also know the safety challenges they can present:
"People in Port Stephens know these roads well, and they also know the safety challenges they can present.
"The Australian Government is committed to investing in the roads our communities rely on every day, because everyone deserves to get where they're going safely," Meryl Swanson MP said.
"This $2.4 million investment will help deliver important safety upgrades at Frost Road, Newline Road and Lemon Tree Passage Road, making these routes safer for local motorists now and into the future," Meryl Swanson MP added.
Port Stephens Council Mayor Leah Anderson said the funding directly responds to community calls for safer roads.
"We've heard that better, safer roads are a top priority for our community," Mayor Anderson said.
"Through our work on the Road Futures Strategy, we've been trying to shift the focus toward long-lasting, quality infrastructure rather than quick patches.
"We've known our resources alone can't match the scale of repairs needed. This grant will deliver lasting safety improvements to areas that have long concerned local drivers," Mayor Anderson added.
Frost Road, Anna Bay
The $689,800 upgrade will target the section of Frost Road between Nelson Bay Road and Gan Gan Road. Works will include relocating power poles, widening road shoulders, installing protective safety barriers and improving sight distance at intersecting driveways.
Newline Road, East Seaham
A $995,000 upgrade will target a 2.9-kilometre section of Newline Road. Works will include widening the shoulders, installing high-protection roadside safety barriers and adding high-visibility centre and edge line audio-tactile line marking (rumble strips).
Lemon Tree Passage Road, Salt Ash
A $715,150 upgrade will target Lemon Tree Passage Road between Rookes Road (North) and Rookes Road (South), widening the road shoulders and installing a roadside flexible safety barrier.
"These upgrades will make a significant difference for communities across Port Stephens, improving safety on roads people rely on every day for school runs, commuting to work and travelling between our towns and villages," Mayor Anderson said.
"We appreciate our community's support as we prepare these upgrades and look forward to delivering safer roads so everyone gets home safely," Mayor Anderson added.
The Australian Government's Black Spot Program targets road locations where several serious crashes have occurred or are at risk of occurring, funding highly effective safety measures such as barriers, roundabouts and traffic lights.
The projects are in the early stages of design and further information will be shared with the community in the coming months.
