A newsletter dated February 2007 by then-Nationals MLC to residents in Dubbo, Forbes, Parkes and Narromine said the party would make the expressway happen.

However since coming to power in 2011, the Liberal-National government appears to have turned its back on the promise

Member for Bathurst Paul Toole and Member for Dubbo Troy Grant were provided with a copy of the newsletter and asked for comment, including whether the Nationals had changed their position or if they had broken a promise to their electorates.

In written statements provided to Fairfax Media, neither MP answered questions relating to Mr Gay’s commitment.

Orange MP and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers representative Phil Donato said there were no excuses for the Nationals’ inaction.

Headlined “Nationals would build Bells Line Expressway”, Mr Gay’s 2007 newsletter said the expressway would be safer and improve efficiency. 

“A real highway across the mountains is well overdue,” Mr Gay said.

“We need a safer route to help reduce fatal car accidents.

“The Bells Line Expressway is the key top economic growth of the Central West, including Lithgow.”

Mr Gay didn’t provide a timeline but attacked the Labor-led government of the day for not starting construction.

“The Nationals are exploring a number of models for funding combining federal and state money including the federal Auslink program,” he said.

“The Iemma-Costa Labor government have had too long to begin construction on this important road.”

Mr Gay, who was acting as Nationals’ representative for the Dubbo electorate while Independent Dawn Fardell was the local member, would go on to become Shadow Minister for Roads three months later.

He then became Roads Minister in 2011 when the coalition was elected to government and held the position until a cabinet reshuffle in January 2017 saw him dumped. He quit politics in July last year.

The government has not announced a clear position on the Bells Line Expressway or the future of transport over the Blue Mountains.

Mr Grant has said he is in favour of an expressway but has not given a timeframe, while Mr Toole didn’t state his position on the proposal.

Mr Donato was blunt in his assessment of whether the Nationals had let Central West electorates down.

“It’s just another broken promise. Here is the Nationals criticising Labor for not doing anything but they have been in power since 2011 and they haven’t done anything either,” Mr Donato said.

“It’s been a decade, they have no excuses.”