This Year's Federal Budget Gives Roads, Rail and Infrastructure Projects a $15.2 Billion Boost
The funds cover the next ten years, as part of overall $110 billion spend across the same period.
With international travel expected to be off the cards until mid-2022, and Australians encouraged to spend their holiday dollars at home to help the country's tourism industry, the 2021–22 Federal Budget is committing a hefty amount of cash to roads, rail and infrastructure projects. Aiming to support the nation's economic recovery from the pandemic, and boost jobs in the process, the Budget allocates $15.2 billion over the next ten years as part of an overall $110 billion spend across the same period.
The Great Western Highway between Katoomba to Lithgow ($2 billion), Victoria's Monash ($250 million) and Pakenham ($380 million) roads, and Queensland's Bruce Highway ($400 million) are just some of the stretches of road that'll receive upgrades. So will the Great Eastern Highway in Western Australia ($200 million), the North-South Corridor from Darlington to the Anzac Highway in South Australia ($2.6 billion), the Midland Highway in Tasmania ($113.4 million) and the Northern Territory National Highway ($150 million).
Announced last night, on Tuesday, May 11, this year's Federal Budget commits $3.8 billion in new spending to New South Wales, $3.4 billion to Victoria, $2 billion to Queensland, $1.6 billion to WA, $3.4 billion to SA, $377.2 million to Tasmania, $401 million to the NT and $186.2 million to the Australian Capital Territory.
If some of the above projects sound familiar, that's because part of the cash has been allocated to works currently underway — but as a new funding commitment.
Also covered: the Princess Highway Corridor in Jervis Bay ($500 million), and the M5 ($87.5 million) and M12 motorways ($229.4) in NSW; the Melbourne Intermodal Terminal ($2 billion), as part of the national freight network; the third stage of the Gold Coast Light Rail ($126.6 million); and stage 2A of the Canberra Light Rail ($132.5 million).
The Budget also includes $1 billion to extend the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program to 2022–23 — which, as its name suggests, is all about supporting local councils to deliver local road and community infrastructure projects — as well as another $1 billion to continue the Road Safety Program into the same year.
For more information about the 2021–22 Federal Budget, head to the government's website.
Top image: Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons.
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