Liberals pledge to invest $70 billion in infrastructure will slash door-to-desk times across NSW

MARCH 25, 2019

With the Berejiklian Government’s win in the NSW Election on Saturday night, the state will soon be awash with new motorways, light rail and tunnels as part of an infrastructure surge.

The big-ticket Liberal government pledges, according to thinktank, the Gratton Institute, include the Sydney Metro West ($18 billion), Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link ($14 billion), Sydney Metro City ($11 billion) and $8 billion for the rail line to the Western Sydney Airport.

Construction on the new Metro West rail line will be accelerated to begin in 2020 - slashing travel times between Parramatta and the city to just 20 minutes.

The Western Harbour Tunnel will allow motorist to bypass the CBD and it will reduce traffic snags on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Anzac Bridge, and Western Distributor. The tunnel will also cut a journey from Olympic Park to North Sydney by over two hours a week.

The Beaches Link will provide a link between the Northern Beaches and the rest of Sydney. The link will slash travel times from Brookvale to the CBD by 27 minutes and Dee Why to the Airport by 41 minutes.

The government has pledged to develop the next phase of the Sydney Metro Rail network, planning for four additional extensions including Westmead to Western Sydney Airport, St Marys to Rouse Hill via Schofields, Bankstown to Liverpool and connecting Macarthur to the 200,000 jobs at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

Major infrastructure such as the Sydney Metro West, the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link, the Sydney Metro City and the rail line to the new airport will slash the time it takes for workers to get from the front door of their homes to their desk each day,” said Angus Raine, Executive Chairman, Raine & Horne. “Long commute times steal many hours a week from Sydneysiders, and any infrastructure project that reduces door-to-desk commutes will add to a suburb or town’s appeal and increase property values.”

The bush won’t miss out on the infrastructure spending either with the NSW government pledging to invest an additional $1 billion in fixing regional roads and bridges. The government has also pledged $400 million to supercharge internet reliability and speed and reduce mobile black spots in regional NSW.

The returning government will further expand its record-breaking school building program by 39 new and upgraded schools with an $917 million investment. This additional investment takes the current four-year school building program to $6.5 billion. Some of the new projects to be delivered as part of the additional investment include a significant upgrade to Hunter River High School in Port Stephens. Angus Raine said schools had influenced the decisions of first home buyers considering starting a family for decades, so the commitment of the Berejiklian government is terrific news. “Parents will pay premiums of up to 5% for a home close to a well-regarded school,” he said.

The additional $917 million investment comes shortly after 17 new and upgraded schools opened across NSW for the start of the 2019 school year, including Ballina Coast High School, Bella Vista Public School, North Kellyville Public School, Randwick’s Rainbow Street Public School and Marie Bashir Public School in Strathfield.