Campaigning in Bega last week with Shadow Minister for Resources and Energy Ian Macfar-lane, Mr Gazard said the community was entitled to know all the details about the $85 million that was announced last Thursday.

“I am totally in favour of the bypass and support it fully,” he said.

“But the community should have the full knowledge of what it is going to cost, and so everybody knows exactly what has happened we need to be told why it was delayed and when work will start.

“Mike Kelly has been at pains to say I don’t support the bypass but I most certainly do.

“I want it to go ahead and it has been supported ever since I can remember with (former Member for Eden-Monaro) Gary Nairn but it was supposed to be started now.”

Mr Macfarlane said it was just another broken promise.

“The reality is that no one has done anything to build the bypass.

“The Labor Party have been talking the talk and not walking the walk, which is typical of both the Rudd and now the Gillard governments – they make wild promises and don’t deliver.”

Mr Macfarlane said: “Mike Kelly has done nothing for the area.

“I talk to the locals when I’m in the electorate and talk to Gary Nairn about what’s going on down here and basically Mike has ignored the electorate and the bypass not being built is just another example of that.”

Mr Gazard said the big point was that construction was supposed to have already begun.

“Mike Kelly promised that the bypass would be under construction right now and that hasn’t happened,” he said.

“Projects like this require more than just a funding announcement, they need a champion to fight every step of the way to completion.

“If I am elected I can give a ‘rolled gold’ guarantee that I’ll fight and kick and scream if they try to take the money away from this project.

“It’s always the same, failing to deliver on a project and moving it to ‘next term’ and then fail to deliver it again.

“It’s the same announcement twice,” Mr Gazard said.

“The town needs the bypass and business needs it with companies like Bega Cheese wasting money uncoupling trucks to get through town.

“I support the bypass, the town supports the bypass, the region supports the bypass.

“Let’s get it started.”