Historic $9.7 billion budget for roads, maritime and freight

Another year, yet another record budget for roads, maritime and freight infrastructure to continue to help bust traffic congestion, reduce travel times for motorists and get freight from paddock to port faster, Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay announced.

Mr Gay said in the 2016-17 NSW Budget, $9.7 billion has been committed to continue the NSW Government’s historic investment to build new and improved roads, boat ramps, wharves and freight rail lines.

“When we came to office in 2011, NSW was a failed state. In terms of building and repairing critical transport and road infrastructure Labor had thrown in the towel,” he said.

Budget highlights include:

• More than $2.1 billion to continue fast tracking major upgrades of key regional highways such as the Pacific, Princes, Central Coast, Great Western, Newell, New England, Oxley, Mitchell, Kings, Riverina, Silver City, Cobb and Bells Line of Road
• $2.9 billion to continue widening and upgrading the M4, building a New M5 and getting the M4-M5 Link ‘shovel ready’ for construction (all part of the WestConnex project), and wider road integration works across the network $283 million to continue major construction of NorthConnex
• $338 million to continue building and upgrading roads to support Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek (including The Northern Road, Bringelly Road and Werrington Arterial Road)
• $147 million to continue building and upgrading roads which help service population growth areas in Western Sydney (including Schofields, Narellan, Richmond and Old Wallgrove roads)
• $160 million to continue major road upgrades to support the new Northern Beaches Hospital
• $125 million towards easing Sydney’s congestion (including fixing notorious traffic pinch points)
• $242 million to upgrade and maintain regional freight rail lines
• $111 million to support productivity and safety for road freight in regional NSW including the Bridges for the Bush program, road freight upgrades and heavy duty pavements
• $32 million to upgrade Sydney commuter wharves
• $21 million to support delivery of 192 priority regional projects under the NSW Boating Now program and other boating initiatives.

Minister Gay said the NSW Government will also invest a massive $1.5 billion to help repair and maintain road, maritime and freight assets in 2016-17, including $224 million in grants to local councils.

“Today’s announcement brings the overall funding commitment in this portfolio to $9.7 billion – dwarfing Labor’s last budget in 2010-11 by 107 per cent,” he said.

“Wherever you look across the state we are Rebuilding NSW to provide the critical transport and freight infrastructure our communities and businesses need and deserve.

“For example, in this budget we have committed $32 million to continue planning for future links on the Sydney Motorway Network including detailed planning for a second road tunnel under Sydney Harbour called the Western Harbour Tunnel and geotechnical studies for a future F6 motorway from Arncliffe through The Shire to Waterfall.”

In the recent Commonwealth May budget, NSW was successful in securing 50 per cent of the overall nationwide investment in 2016-17 for capital road and rail infrastructure projects.

Source: NSW Government

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