NSW Government has pledged $5 billion in road spending as part of its 2012-13 State Budget
June 13, 2012
NSW Government has pledged $5 billion in road spending as part of its 2012-13 State Budget.
Roads Minister Duncan Gay yesterday unveiled plans to spend $2.2 billion
on new roads, $1.3 billion
on road maintenance, $311 million
on traffic network improvements and $270 million
on road safety.
“We are committing $941 million towards duplicating the Pacific Highway and finally getting this dangerous stretch of road upgraded,” Gay says.
“The NSW Government is providing $341 million towards upgrading vital roads infrastructure to support the growth of housing and jobs in Western Sydney.”
“Importantly, we are also providing $30 million towards building Sydney’s missing motorway link.”
“In keeping with our election promise we are planning ahead for a future Sydney motorway network, in anticipation of the State Infrastructure Strategy being released by Infrastructure NSW in September.”
Also promised as part of the Budget was $84.5 million for the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Program, $127 million for new train sets and $330 million for maintenance activities across metropolitan and regional rail networks.
Australasian Railway Association CEO Bryan Nye says the Budget recognises the importance of an efficient and effective rail network.
“Improvements to the rail network combined with proposed congestion charges will be a significant boost for NSW’s productivity growth,” Nye says.
Elsewhere, $100 million in Federal and State money will go to complete the Holbrook bypass on the Hume.
The proposed Pacific Highway spend led to
a dispute between the State Government and Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese over co-funding for a complete duplication.
Albanese criticised NSW for not reaching the threshold for a 50-50 split while NSW argued the traditional split for the highway was 80-20, with Federal spending taking the bigger share.
The NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan Discussion Paper shows the government plans to spend $61.8 billion on infrastructure in total in the four years to 2015-16.
Of that, 2012-13 will make up $15 billion, with 41 percent going on transport infrastructure.
That will rise to 42 percent for the four-year period.
For 2012-13, Roads and Maritime Services will receive $2.8 billion, Just behind Networks NSW at $3.4 billion and ahead of Rail Corporation of NSW at $2.5 billion, while Sydney Ports Corporation will get $225 million.
Over the life of the government, $26 billion in transport spending should include
- North West Rail Link ($3.3 billion)
- South West Rail Link ($1.4 billion)
- Northern Sydney Freight Corridor ($950 million)
- upgrades to the Pacific Highway ($5 billion), Hunter Expressway and ancillary works ($845 million) and the Princes Highway ($596 million)
About $70 million over five years will go to implement the Local Government Infrastructure Backlog Policy.
Traffic fines set out in the Road Transport (General) Regulation 2005 will increase 12.5 percent from July 1, with the Government noting that the cost of collecting fine revenue has risen by 21 per cent over the past five years. This is expected to raise $180 million over the four years to 2015-16.