Adam Marshall budget wishlist: Inverell Hospital, Armidale Secondary College, Guyra pipeline

While Mr Marshall will have to wait and see how effective his lobbying has been for a number of projects, one thing he does expect in the budget is a “pretty reasonable chuck of funding” to start construction on Armidale Secondary College.

“It’s the first new public high school built in the New England North West since the ‘70s,” he said.

“It’s going to be a high school the likes of which has never been seen in country NSW.

“It’s going to be built to world-leading standards, with a state-of-the-art performing arts centre. It won’t have traditional classrooms, it will have learning spaces.

“It’ll be designed to have a university-campus feel about it, rather than the regular boxy-high school design.”

Mr Marshall said Inverell was at the top of his list, as he looks to tick off two of the town’s big projects – funding for a new police station and an additional $30 million for stage two of the hospital development.

He’s also got his fingers crossed for the Guyra to Malpas Dam pipeline, and has been lobbying the state government to fund almost the entire project.

“It will cost about $12.8 million, I’m hoping the state government will fund between $10.5 million to $11 million,” Mr Marshall said.

He’s also been in the ear of NSW Roads Minister Melinda Pavey for money to kick start work on the 56km gravel road connecting Mungindi to Boomi – dubbed Road 507 – in the northern-most part of the state.

“That’s a project the community has been fight for, for 25 years now,” Mr Marshall said.

“About $35 million worth of produce travels on that road off those properties every year.

“It’s a very important part of the shire and it has a bloody ordinary road.”

Mr Marshall is looking at “some pretty major road projects” around Moree, and wants to see funding to continue for the renewal program being carried out on the region’s highways.

The budget will be announced on Tuesday, June 19.