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Roads Australia Insider May 12, 2010

No surprises in Budget, just on with the job

There were no new major road announcements in last night’s Federal Budget. Instead, it was a case of ‘ head down, on with the job’.

As hinted by Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Anthony Albanese, at last month’s Roads Australia Summit, the 2010-11 Budget delivered no big surprises.

The focus was more on getting on with the job of delivering the major road infrastructure projects that have been announced over the last two Budget cycles as part of the $27.7 billion, six year Nation Building program.

Last night the Government committed a further $4.2 billion to ….”begin, progress or complete a long list of large and smaller scale projects.”

Mr Albanese said the rollout of “the biggest road building program in the nation's history” was approaching its halfway point.

The ‘Work in Progress’ report delivered by Minister Albanese read as follows:

In the coming financial year, work will start on the following upgrades to Network 1 (N1), comprising the Pacific, Bruce and Hume highways as well as key feeder roads:

  • Hunter Expressway - scheduled to start in 2010 and be completed in 2013. Total project cost is $1.7 billion, with a Federal contribution of $1.5 billion.
  • Pacific Highway, Kempsey Bypass - scheduled to start in 2010 and be completed in 2014. Total project cost is $618 million, fully federally funded.
  • Pacific Highway, Sapphire to Woolgoolga - scheduled to start in 2010 and be completed in 2014. Federal contribution towards this project is $610 million.
  • Bruce Highway - Cardwell Range realignment in North Queensland - scheduled to start in 2010 and be completed in 2012. Federal contribution towards this project is $115 million.

At the other end of the construction cycle, the following major upgrades to the N1 are expected to be completed over the next 12 months:

  • Pacific Motorway - Mudgeeraba Interchange - scheduled to be completed in late 2010. Total project cost is $47 million, with a Federal contribution of $23.5 million.
  • Pacific Motorway - Varsity Lakes Interchange - scheduled to be completed in early 2011. Total project cost is $80 million, with a Federal contribution of $40 million.

Beyond the N1, construction activities will begin on the following major projects during the course of 2010-11:

  • Kings Road Interchange (Calder Highway), Victoria - scheduled to start in late 2010 and be completed in mid 2012. Total project cost is $60 million, with a Federal contribution of $30 million.
  • Duplication of the Princes Highway from Waurn Ponds to Winchelsea, Victoria - scheduled to start in late 2010 and be completed in mid 2014. Total project cost is $220 million, with a Federal contribution of $110 million.
  • Dampier Highway duplication, stages 2 to 6 between Balmoral Road West in Karratha and Burrup Road in Dampier - scheduled to start in late 2010 and be completed in late 2012. Total project cost is $89 million, with a Federal contribution of $80 million.
  • Great Eastern Highway and Roe Highway Interchange northeast of Perth - scheduled to start in late 2010 and be completed in mid 2012. Total project cost is $110 million with a Federal contribution of $73 million.
  • Great Northern Highway realignment at Port Hedland - scheduled to start in early 2011 and be completed in mid 2014. Total project cost is $188 million, with a Federal contribution of $160 million.
  • The South Road Superway in Adelaide - scheduled to start in 2011 and be completed in late 2013. Total project cost is $812 million, with a Federal contribution of $430 million.

Work is expected to be completed by June 2011 on the following major projects:

  • Geelong Ring Road Stage 4A, Victoria - scheduled to be completed in late 2010. Total project cost is $125 million, with a Federal contribution of $62.5 million.
  • Mandurah Entrance Road at Mandurah - scheduled to be completed in late 2010. Total project cost is $155 million, with a Federal contribution of $77.5 million.
  • The Northern Expressway between Gawler and Adelaide - scheduled to be completed in August 2010. Total project cost is $564 million, with a Federal contribution of $451.2 million.
  • Bridgewater Bridge Refurbishment and Upgrade of the Lyell Highway Junction on the Midland Highway in Tasmania - scheduled to be completed in December 2010. Total project cost is $14.0 million which is fully funded by the Australian Government.
  • ACT: Tharwa Road/Lanyon Drive Extension Stage 2 - scheduled to be completed in June 2011. Total project cost is $19.0 million, with Australian Government contribution of $7.5 million.

Other road and transport initiatives announced last night included:

Road safety

  • $59.5 million to eliminate over 320 dangerous black spots on local roads;
  • $20 million to building safe, modern roadside facilities for truck drivers, including 37 new and refurbished rest stops, parking bays and decoupling areas, and 9 bridge upgrades.

Local roads

  • Councils and shires to receive more than $1 billion in 2010-11, of which over $157.2 million has been brought forward into 2009-10.

Infrastructure Pipeline

  • The Government announced that Infrastructure Australia was continuing to develop a National Infrastructure Pipeline to give private investors, including superannuation funds, the certainty they need in planning for infrastructure investment in the coming years.

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

  • The Government provided an additional $8.3 million to progress the national transport regulatory reforms confirmed at last December’s COAG meeting, including the establishment of a national heavy vehicle regulator.

Rail

  • A further $1 billion for upgrades to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) freight network, supporting up to 1,500 jobs.
  • $70.7 million to complete the detailed planning on the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal Project in Sydney’s south west, with the staged redevelopment of the hub expected to start in 2013, subject to final approval.

Click here to to go to the Commonwealth Budget website.

Click here to read Minister Albanese's Budget announcements.

 

To get the latest information and booking details on upcoming ROADS AUSTRALIA events, including boardroom lunches with ministers and senior department heads, go to our Events page.

Submitted by Mark Bowmer on Wednesday May 12th 2010 8:33am

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