News that the remainder of Clifton Road will be sealed is music to the ears of Carroll Cotton Gin owners Scott and Trudy Davies.
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The $9.8 million upgrade of Clifton Road between Carroll and Breeza will be funded through the Fixing Country Roads Program and was announced by Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson on Tuesday.
Mr Davies said the upgrade would boost his proposal to build a new gin worth $20 million.
"Once completed, and we see the resumption of normal cotton crops, the gin could generate cotton products worth up to $150 million a year. In seven years that's $1 billion to the region," he said.
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The 13.5km stretch of Clifton Road will be sealed, and five kilometres, from Hoggarth Street, Maitland Street and Bulunbulun Road, will be widened.
"This is fantastic news for Breeza, Carroll and the surrounding farms. It will provide a safer and more efficient way to conduct their business and deliver their crops," Mr Anderson said.
"It's so important that as we invest in our region we use that money to create jobs."
Long-time road lobbyist Margaret Vincent said it would have a positive impact on the businesses in the local area.
"Along Clifton Road we have a feedlot, two trucking companies and a crop-spraying business as well as many, many truck movements when the season allows a good cotton crop to be grown," she said.
"We've had some great rain in recent weeks that is allowing farmers to plant early crops and the latest rain will promote the planting of large areas of winter crops, so we're hoping for some good harvests."
The application for the overall project was submitted by Gunnedah Shire Council in December and was also on Namoi Unlimited's agenda.
The construction work will be carried out by council staff and infrastructure services director Jeremy Bartlett said the council would use local contractors to provide gravel, bitumen and haulage.
"The design and construction of the bridge over the Mooki near Breeza will go to tender for the design and construction, but the rest of the project will be aimed at providing local jobs," he said.
Mr Bartlett said work was expected to start on the Clifton Road project in January 2021 and be completed by December 2021.
