Where is NSW spending its record $93 billion infrastructure budget
The NSW government has handed down the state budget for 2019-20, which contains a record-breaking spending of $93 billion on infrastructure over the next four years to 2022-23.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s third NSW Budget sees more than half of this figure go toward road and rail, $55.6 billion for road and transport projects.
Other major expenditures are, $10.1 billion for over 40 new and upgraded hospitals and $7.3 billion towards over 190 new and upgraded schools.
The Property Council's William Power said Treasurer Perrottet’s third budget "delivers on the Government’s election commitments and provides a solid foundation for future economic, job and productivity growth through a $93 billion infrastructure investment, however it’s a budget that reflects tightened purse strings necessitated by a slower residential housing market.”
“Sydney and NSW will always grow but we must invest in the right infrastructure in the right places so that we grow well – this budget does this and supports new and growing communities with much needed social infrastructure,” Mr Power said.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said some of the highlights from the 2019-20 Budget included:
- $1.5 billion over four years for the Pacific Highway upgrade program towards completion of the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade which is on track to progressively open to traffic in 2020, and to progress the Coffs Harbour bypass.
- $1.2 billion over four years to continue work on existing Princes Highway projects, including the Albion Park Rail bypass, the Berry to Bomaderry Upgrade, the new Nowra Bridge, and the Batemans Bay replacement bridge. Additionally, there is a further $322 million over four years, as part of the Government’s commitment to upgrade the Princes Highway between Nowra and the Victorian border.
- Commence work to duplicate the 31-kilometre section of the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow, delivering a safer, faster trip over the mountains.
- $44.3 million to continue sealing the most remote highways in NSW, the Silver City and Cobb Highways.
- $145 million for upgrades on the Newell Highway, including overtaking lanes, pavement upgrades.
- $38 million to progress the new Regional Rail Fleet including construction of a rail maintenance facility in Dubbo.
- $373 million to improve road safety including a significant increase in investment through the Road Safety Plan 2021 targeting high risk areas with a regional focus.
- Start of the $250 Seniors Travel Card in January 2020.
Road and Transport Infrastructure?
- An undisclosed amount of funding is going towards the Koichi Takada Architects and Southwest rail, which will connect Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street and Waterloo, opening in 2024
- $6.4 billion is going towards the Sydney Metro West rail, which is planned to provide an underground network between the Sydney CBD and the Greater Parramatta area, with construction starting in 2020 and an estimated completion date in the second half of the 2020s
- An undisclosed amount of funding is going towards the North South Metro Rail Link - Stage 1, which is planned to connect St Marys to the upcoming Western Sydney Aerotropolis and the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, with completion predicted for 2026
- $695 million is going towards technology upgrades to reduce congestion
- $450 million towards 12 pinch points at intersections along major arterial roads and regional links around Sydney
- $1.3 billion towards improving the roads in Western Sydney, which includes:
- $404 million towards upgrading The Northern Road between Narellan and Penrith
- $145.3 million towards planning and preconstruction costs for the M12 Motorway
- $561 million towards the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1
- $107 to the M4 Smart Motorway to improve trip reliability and road safety
- $1 billion over five years towards fixing regional bridges, which includes:
- $500 million for the Fixing Country Bridges program
- $500 million for the Fixing Local Roads program
Education infrastructure
Over $6 billion is planned to go towards school-related infrastructure over the next four years, which includes:
- $917.4 million towards building eight schools and upgrading 32 government schools, which will go to future schools or existing schools located in:
- Ashtonfield
- Belmont
- Bungendore
- Byron Bay
- Coffs Harbour
- Jerrabomberra
- Jesmond
- Kingscliff
- Lake Cathie
- Lennox Head
- Murwillumbah
- Newcastle East
- Nulkaba
- Old Bar
- Pottsville Beach
- Queanbeyan
- Rutherford
- South Nowra
- Speers Point
- Tamworth
- Tweed Heads
- Wagga Wagga
- Wangi Wangi
- Wauchope
- Wollongong
- Worrigee
- Yass
- $500 million towards the construction, extension or upgrading of non-government schools
- $79.6 million over four years towards a new TAFE Western Sydney Construction Hub to be built near the Western Sydney Airport
- $61.7 million over four years towards constructing eight new TAFE Connected Learning Centres located in Byron Bay, Nelson Bay, Bateman’s Bay, Jindabyne, Nambucca Heads, Hay, Cobar and West Wyalong
Health infrastructure
Over $10 billion is planned to go towards health-related infrastructure over the next four years, which includes:
- Over $4.4 billion for the upgrading and construction of 29 hospital and health facility projects. Some areas receiving this funding are located in include:
- Albury
- Bankstown
- Blacktown
- Bowral
- Campbelltown
- Concord
- Cooma
- Dubbo
- Eurobodalla
- Gosford
- Goulburn
- Grafton
- Griffith
- Inverell
- Lidcombe
- Lismore
- Liverpool
- Macksville
- Maitland
- Manning
- Mount Druitt
- Mudgee
- Nepean
- Randwick
- Ryde
- Shellharbour
- Shoalhaven
- St George
- Tumut
- Tweed
- Wagga Wagga
- Westmead
- Wyong