Canberra outlines where its $24.5 billion in transport infrastructure funds will be allocated this year
On the before the Treasurer approaches the dispatch box in Canberra, various state-based media outlets around the country have reported on what's in the Federal Budget 'for them'.
In what appears to be an acknowledgement of the Federal Government's less than stellar record of recent years of investing in the state which is seeing the highest population growth, Victorian media are reporting 1/3 of all the money to be allocated in the Federal budget tomorrow will be allocated to that state.
It includes one big pre-announcement already made, $5 billion for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link which at this point doesn't have a preferred corridor as planning working is still ongoing, using funds allocated from 2017's State and Federal budgets. The outcome of which will not be known until later in the year.
$475 million will be allocated to 'Monash rail' according to the Herald Sun - the State Government has already outlined money will be allocated to plan for a light rail link. It doesn't appear the money to be allocated by Canberra will be tied to a specific solution however they do want the option of implementing a heavy rail line as well according to the local News Corp paper.
Regional Roads, unsurprisingly, see a fair bit of Canberra love with money to finalise duplications from Traralgon and Sale mentioned in local reports and the Federal Government will allocate $1.75 billion to the North-East Link.
New South Wales media have re-hashed pre-budget announcements including $400 million for duplicating the Port Botany freight railway line and $50 million for the business case on Western Sydney's airport railway lines.
The budget will also include just under $1 billion for the Pacific Highway Coffs Harbour bypass with the Daily Telegraph taking a decidedly, boo-hoo, poor us, line on the percentage of funding to be allocated by the Federal Government to New South Wales this year.
In all, Brisbane media are reporting $5.2 billion will be allocated to that state including projects such as the Brisbane Metro, upgrades the Bruce Highway and other regional roads in Queensland.
The Bruce highway upgrades alone are worth $3.3 billion according to the Courier Mail and it reports that since 2013 it will have allocated or spent upwards of $10 billion on the main road north of out of Brisbane.
The Lion's share of the $1.8 billion allocated to South Australia will be spent on Adelaide's South Road upgrade which has been transforming over the past few years to give Adelaide a non-stop north-South Road which bypasses the CBD.
The Gawler line electrification project will receive $220 million according to the Adelaide Advertiser.
The Bridgewater Bridge in north Hobart will be rebuilt with $461 million to be allocated to the replacement cost of the 1940s era bridge. $120 million will be allocated to revitalising Tasmania's freight rail network as well according to The Mercury.
In Perth, the Federal Government has already announced it will add a further $1 billion to Perth's Metronet initiative.
The NT News, disappointingly, did not grace its front page with a croc image/story today.
Lead image credit: Wikipedia.
