Last week, we spoke with NSW Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole, about the unfolding closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass.

Since then, the situation has continued to evolve, with the NSW Government confirming a $50 million package to upgrade key detour routes across the Blue Mountains and Lithgow region as traffic volumes remain heavily diverted.

However, the highway remains closed indefinitely, engineers are still assessing the full extent of the structural damage, and the eventual rebuild is being described as complex and long-term.

In this update, we revisit the issue with Paul Toole to unpack what has changed in the past week, whether the government response is keeping pace with the disruption, and what it means for local communities, freight operators, and regional transport resilience moving forward.