KEY POINTS
- Fifty infrastructure projects across Australia will no longer receive federal funding.
- They include commuter car parks, highway upgrades and fast rail projects.
- About 400 projects have survived the chopping block.
Commuter car parks, highway upgrades and fast rail projects across the country will have their funding slashed as the federal government tries to rein in spending after a $33 billion budget blow out.
The Geelong Fast Rail, the Sydney to Newcastle faster rail upgrade, the Truro Bypass and the New England Highway project are among 50 projects that will no longer receive money from the Commonwealth.
The government has also taken the axe to commuter car parks in Queensland and NSW, which were criticised in an auditor-general report and labelled as pork-barrelling by Labor.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the cuts represented projects that were not realistically going to be delivered with the available funding, had made little to no progress over a significant amount of time, or did not align with national priorities.
“(The infrastructure review) painted a sad and frankly sorry picture of the health of our infrastructure investment pipeline,” she told reporters on Thursday.
“From now on, the Australian government’s investment infrastructure will focus on productivity, sustainability and livability.”
The proposed Melbourne Airport train station isn’t among projects facing the chop. Source: AAP / Rail Projects Victoria
King said the government had undertaken “considered consultation” with states and territories.
Though jurisdictions did not always agree, they had created a list of projects the Commonwealth would partner on, and there should be no surprises for state leaders.
“Every single state is getting a fair share of the infrastructure pipeline,” she said.
However many premiers, including Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk and Chris Minns in NSW previously said they were not happy with the new arrangement and are unlikely to be impressed as their major projects are scrapped.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said on Thursday that every cent of federal funding committed to Victorian projects must stay in the state.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the cuts represented projects that were not realistically going to be delivered with the available funding. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch
Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick has also made his displeasure known.
“Our message to Catherine King: treat Queensland more like Qantas and less like Qatar,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, in reference to critic’s questions about her preferable treatment of the Australian airline.
About 400 projects have survived the chopping block and are expected to be completed or substantially developed over the next 10 years including the Tanami Road upgrade in Central Australia and the M1 Pacific Motorway Extension.
The Melbourne Airport Rail Link, the Milton Ulladulla Bypass, and the Tasman Bridge are also safe, with no overall cut to the $120 billion infrastructure pipeline.
The government is giving extra funding to 11 projects, including South Australia’s North-South Corridor ($2.7 billion), Queensland’s Logan-Gold Coast Faster Rail ($1.75 billion) and Western Australia’s Metronet ($1 billion).
Some nearby projects will be grouped in “corridors” while others will have a business case developed while remaining cash is saved for future construction.
Infrastructure projects that have had their federal funding axed
NSW
Blaxland Road/Balaclava Road intersection improvements
Bruxner Highway – Wollongbar to Goonellabah
Commuter Car Park Upgrade – T1 North Shore, Northern and Western Line – Kingswood
Commuter Car Park Upgrade – T1 North Shore, Northern and Western Line – St Marys
Commuter Car Park Upgrade – Woy Woy
Great Western Highway Upgrade – Katoomba to Lithgow – construction of east and west sections
Gwydir Highway Improvements – planning
M7-M12 Interchange Mulgoa Road stage two – Glenmore Parkway to Jeanette Street, stage 5A Blaikie Road to Jamison Road and stage 5B Jamison Road to Union Road
Northern NSW Inland Port – Narrabri
Oxley Highway stage two – Planning
Remembrance Driveway corridor upgrade – Camden Council
Southern Connector Road, Jindabyne
Sydney to Newcastle – Tuggerah – Wyong faster rail upgrade
Toowoomba to Seymour – New South Wales – Moree intermodal overpass
Werrington Arterial stage two – Planning Western City Road transport network development – planning
Victoria
Business case for Melbourne Inland Rail Intermodal Terminal
Calder Freeway – Gap Road to the M80 Ring Road
Camberwell Road / Monteath Avenue / Redfern Road intersection upgrade
Frankston to Baxter rail upgrade
Goulburn Valley Highway – Shepparton bypass stage one
Improving connectivity to Port of Melbourne – business case
McKoy Street – Hume Freeway intersection upgrade
Mornington Peninsula Freeway upgrade
Rutherglen heavy vehicle alternative route
Victorian faster rail corridor investigations
Western Freeway upgrade – M80 Ring Road to Ferris Road
Queensland
Beenleigh Station commuter car park
Beenleigh Emu Swamp Dam Supporting Infrastructure, Stanthorpe
High Road and Easterly Street, Waterford upgrade
Kenmore roundabout upgrade
Loganlea Station commuter car park, Loganlea
Mooloolah River Interchange upgrade (packages one and two)
New England Highway upgrade, Cabarlah
Nicklin Way-Third Avenue Connection, Caloundra
Tennant Creek to Townsville corridor upgrade – Dingo Park Road intersection upgrade
Western Australia
Future Road and Rail Connections for Perth
Great Southern Secondary Freight Network
Moorine Rock to Mt Holland Road upgrades
Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation – Stages one and two
South Australia
Hahndorf Township improvements and access upgrade
Main South Road productivity package
Old Belair Road upgrade, Mitcham
Onkaparinga Valley Road – Tiers Road – Nairne Road intersection upgrade
Truro Bypass
Tasmania
Old Surrey Road/Massy-Greene Drive upgrade
ACT
Inner Canberra Corridor planning package
