The National and Liberal Party is fighting to hold on to a number of regional seats with polls consistently saying regional voters are angry at the big spend on new stadiums in Sydney.
A recent poll had the Liberals and Labor neck in neck in Goulburn, with the Nationals hold slipping on Barwon and Lismore.
NSW Labor leader Michael Daley has been campaigning against the stadium decisions - the demolition is already underway - in advertisements and with a big slogan on his election bus.
With this resentment Nationals leader John Barilaro has written a special piece for The Land defending the Government's decision.
Recently the mayor of Moree Katrina Humphries supported the stadium replacements, saying Sydney had to stay competitive with Melbourne or lose major sporting events.
She told The Land's Dan Pedersen last week: "the issues for the regions going into this election are health, education, water, roads and native vegetation. I understand why NSW wants good stadiums, Melbourne is tough to compete against, we have to start somewhere."
Mr Barilaro says the Government's initiative has been misrepresented and that billions of dollars has flowed to the regions.
"There's been talk in the lead-up to the March 23 NSW election about resentment in regional areas over the government's stadium spend in Sydney," Mr Barilaro writes.
"But to claim we're missing out in regional NSW, could not be further from the truth.
"There's not a time in recent NSW history where so many billions of dollars are being spent and committed to roads, hospitals, schools, sports facilities and water projects, across every inch of the state.
"$50 billion has been invested into regional infrastructure since 2011, thanks to the Nationals in government.
"This is not the by-product of a looming election, or the so-called battle for the bush. It's because we've done a good job balancing the books and now it's your time to share the spoils.
"But with billion dollar price tags attached to thousands of projects, it's easy to miss the point - where is the funding actually going?
"For regional NSW, we are spending the equivalent of more than 24 Sydney stadia on schools, hospitals, roads, dams and community infrastructure alone.
"Here are the facts: $2.2 billion is the total cost for the buyback and rebuild of three Sydney Stadiums. For Allianz alone, the cost is $730 million.
"Compare that to what's happening in the regions, and Labor should be embarrassed by its hollow criticisms. Labor even opposes our plans for a new hospital Tweed Heads - one of the fastest growing regions of the state.
"The proceeds from the sale of the mighty Snowy Hydro, which are dedicated to transformational regional infrastructure projects like inland ports, mobile and digital connectivity and dams, equate to more than double the total stadia spend!
"For the cost of four new Allianz stadiums, we are delivering $1.5 billion in drought support and $1.4 billion to invest in dams, pipelines and weirs to drought-proof NSW and ensure our communities have secure, reliable and safe access to water.
"We will spend more than double the cost of the total Sydney stadia on new regional roads funding including almost $3.5 billion to duplicate the Great Western and Princes Highways and $1.54 billion on improving our local roads and repairing ageing timber bridges.
"At the cost of another two Allianz stadiums, we are replacing the aged regional rail fleet with a brand new modern fleet, to be fully maintained in regional NSW.
"For the price of more than four Allianz stadiums we have upgraded or built more than 60 regional schools and 63 regional hospitals.
"The Nationals in government have provided regional NSW with the kinds of infrastructure projects that make life in the regions a first choice to live, work and raise a family -- our $1.6 billion Regional Growth Fund is delivering over 1,300 community projects - our own stadia.
"Let Sydney have its new venues -- I'm just focused on ensuring every corner of this State has seen the benefits of the Nationals in Government.
- $4.2 billion Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund = 6 Allianz stadiums
- $1.5 billion Drought Support Package = 2 Allianz stadiums
- $1.4 billion water infrastructure = 2 Allianz stadiums
- $5 billion regional roads and bridges = 6+ Allianz stadiums
- $1.6 billion regional growth fund - 1,300 community projects = 2+ Allianz stadiums
- Over $2 billion on 63 regional hospitals and $1.4 billion on building or upgrading 60 regional schools = 4 Allianz stadiums
- $1.26 billion new regional rail fleet = almost 2 Allianz stadiums."
John Ellicott
journalist and author
journalist and author
