David Irving has mixed feelings about the duplication of Ocean Drive.
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Before the state election on March 23 the Crestwood Drive resident lobbied state member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams to prioritise it.
And Mrs Williams heeded the call, promising the upgrade if the Coalition was re-elected.
On June 18 the Liberal-National Coalition allocated $50 million dollars in the state budget for the 3.4 kilometre section of Ocean Drive between Matthew Flinders Drive and Greenmeadows Drive to be duplicated.
The $50 million is on top of a previous $10 million allocation, while Port Macquarie-Hastings Council committed $5.5 million to the project in 2018.
"It is much needed," Mr Irving.
"We have been here for 24 years and the volume of traffic is just exponential.
"In the morning it is like a parking lot."
But Mr Irving said while he is glad to see the funding eventuate he would like more details on the project.
Specifically a timeline and what disruption there might be to local residents during the build.
"When they start to do the upgrade then everyone who lives at Ocean Drive is going to have difficulty getting in and out of those estates," Mr Irving said.
"They are going to have to cut some roads off during the building of the project because it is a very big project.
"It is obviously going to cause disruption, we understand that, but it is how it is managed that we are concerned about."
It's not rocket science.
- David Irving
Mr Irving also would like Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to consider investing in a second exit onto Ocean Drive from Port Macquarie's Crestwood Estate as part of the upgrade.
"Originally there was an exit from Yaluma Drive but council closed that in 1998," he said.
"At that point in time they said the roundabout would cater for all the cars.
"Well it doesn't and it's as simple as that.
"Even if we could just get a one-way turn out onto Ocean Drive that would stop the cars becoming stuck here.
"It's not rocket science."
Mr Irving presented a petition to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council with almost 200 signatures earlier this year.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Mayor Peta Pinson said she was "delighted" funding promised during the state election campaign was allocated in the 2019/2020 state budget.
"The millions of dollars coming to the Port Macquarie region will see vital road infrastructure projects being to move forward," Mrs Pinson said.
Mrs Pinson said she looked forward to meeting with the state government to discuss the "logistics" of the upgrade.
She said there was "no commencement date to announce" in terms of work.
"Now that the funding is secured, timing of the project will be considered with tenders for the duplication of Ocean Drive to be requested from suitably experienced contractors," she said.
There had been some concern about the upgrade destroying critically sensitive wetlands and koala habitat being impacted by work during the upgrade of Ocean Drive.
Clinical director of the Koala Hospital Cheyne Flanagan dismissed those concerns.
"While there are going to be some trees removed and every tree is critical to koalas, the upgrade will include exclusion fencing which in fact stops koalas getting on the road," she said.
"That is a really good thing."