Roads funding down as fine and toll revenue up
The Budget has identified $779 million (up 9% on 23/24) in traffic infringement revenue this year, increasing to $781 million in the next year. Revenue from toll roads is earmarked to increase to $159 million in 25/26r and then projected to spike by 78 per cent to $283 million by 28/29.
The Budget earmarked $55.6 Billion investment in transport infrastructure over the next four years.
This year’s budget includes:
- $250 million to widen the western section of Mona Vale Road
- $232.7 million deliver the fifth section of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass
- $129.1 million for Mulgoa Road Stage 1 (Blaikie Road to M4 Motorway)
The cut to road funding comes as NSW again struggles to reduce the terrible road toll currently sitting at 179 – up by 26 deaths on the same time last year. It also comes one month after NRMA released a report showing a $3.4 billion backlog in road maintenance funding for NSW councils.
NRMA Spokesperson, Peter Khoury said investment in the state’s roads fell while tolls, taxes and fine revenue collected from motorists rose.
“If we don’t reverse the trend of underfunding roads then regional councils will find it even harder to maintain roads to a safe standard and councils across west and south-western Sydney will suffer further congestion and strain as the populations in these areas grows,” Mr Khoury said.
’The NRMA has been fighting hard to get regional and greater Sydney councils the funding they need from the State and Federal Governments to maintain their roads to a safe standard – this is critical as we all use these roads.
“In positive news the NSW Government’s dollar-for-dollar commitment with the Federal Government to fix Mona Vale Road is great news for long-suffering motorists on the northern beaches.”
The budget also includes $2.8 billion over four years in road-safety funding with $731.7 million earmarked for this year.
