Speaking in support of the Nationals candidate for Oxley, Melinda Pavey, and flanked by the retiring local member, Andrew Stoner, Mr Gay said the money would be spent over the next three years on a range of safety enhancements, including passing lanes and tarmac improvements.

The $50 million will be additional to $10 million currently being spent on Oxley Highway improvement works, Mr Gay said.

The additional funds would be spent in the second and third years of the government's new term, if re-elected, following a year of planning.

"A range of detailed safety investigations and site inspections had been undertaken as part of the Oxley Highway Route Safety Review," the minister said.

"Work is well under way to make this road safer for thousands of motorists travelling through townships such as Tamworth, Gunnedah, Walcha and Wauchope each day."

Mr Gay said this $50 million pledged for the route was "probably the biggest sum of money ever put in place" for the Oxley Highway, which is "used as a day-to-day road" for many people in the community and "we need to make it safe", he said.

The highway is a major tourist route and important to the Wauchope economy, Mr Gay said.

However until more safety research is carried out neither Mr Gay nor Ms Pavey could give instances of any possible local safety improvements.

Asked if Spencer's Cutting, the notorious "black spot" curves between the Pacific Highway and Wauchope, could be included in the upgrade program, Ms Pavey said the locations where works will be funded depended on the outcomes of safety audits, with parts of the highway with bad safety statistics to be targeted.

"Where we have bad statistics is where the money goes," Ms Pavey said.

Ms Pavey said research had found speed and fatigue to be major factors in crashes on the Oxley Highway.

"Based on this research we have laid down a skid-resistant road surface on several bends," she said.

"Funding for this work is being strategically targeted to to eliminated black spots on the Oxley Highway."

A list of "safety works planned for 2015" provided at the new funding announcement included "Installation of Vehicle Activated Signs near Wauchope", but no information was available from anyone present on where, "near Wauchope", that might be.

Other Oxley Highway works planned for this year are:

* Installation of safety barriers (guardrails and wire ropes) between Walcha and Bendemeer;

* Improved line marking near Somerton (west of Tamworth) and west of Gunnedah;

* Intersection improvements and road shoulder widening at various locations along the highway; and

* Installation of audio tactile line marking (rumble strips) at various locations along the highway.