With completion of the upgrade to four lanes along the entire route of the Pacific Highway, construction of the Coffs Harbour bypass underway and planning in its final stage for the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace, it's now time to begin planning the next phase of the Pacific Highway Upgrade program.

Population growth along the Pacific Highway corridor, combined with increasing tourism traffic has made many of these major intersections busy at peak times, raising further safety concerns.

In recent times, we have seen fatal accidents at these busy intersections and its now time for them all to be upgraded.

The next phase of the Pacific Highway Upgrade Program includes interchanges linking to the highway at:

- Medowie Road, Italia Road and Bucketts Way linking Newcastle Airport, western villages, Gloucester and the Barrington Tops

- Myall Way linking Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest

- Failford Road linking Forster-Tuncurry

- Harrington Road linking Coopernook and Harrington

- Houston Mitchell Drive at Lake Cathie-Bonny Hills

- And, an upgrade of the Oxley Highway interchange linking Wauchope and Port Macquarie

House doctors unite

Medical Doctors of the House, Dr David Gillespie, Dr Mike Freelander, Dr Katie Allen and Dr Andrew Laming have united this week to welcome the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

The first shipment is part of 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, secured through an advance purchasing agreement under our vaccine strategy.

The arrival confirms we are on track for our most vulnerable groups to start receiving this week.

About 80,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be made available in the first week. The first priority for vaccines are hotel quarantine and border workers, frontline emergency healthcare workers and aged care and disability care residents and staff.

The government is committed to providing safe and effective vaccines free to everyone in Australia.