THE biggest winners in the NSW Budget will be long suffering western Sydney residents who will benefit from big ticket spending on major road, rail and hospital projects.
In its last Budget ahead of next year’s election, the State Government will spend a total of $10.2 billion this year on infrastructure projects.
The projects include a new light rail network for Parramatta, a major revamp of Westmead Hospital and the construction of the West Connex motorway.
There will be new schools at North Sydney and Penrith as the Government spends $400 million over four years including upgrades to 14 schools across the state.
Northwest
The North West Rail Link will be extended to Bankstown via Chatswood and a second Harbour crossing with $7 million to be spent on planning the project this year.
The Budget includes $863 million for the construction of the $8.3 billion North West Rail Link project.
“This vital project is well underway, with the first of four tunnel boring machines on track to be in the ground by October,” said Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian.
About $20 million is allocated for planning for a $3 billion three-lane road tunnel linking the M1 to M2 motorways, the North Connex. A new lane will link the M2 between Pennant Hills Road and Windsor Road.
Funding in this year’s Budget will progress plans for light rail in Parramatta with $400 million set aside for the much anticipated missing transport link.
Southwest
To keep its promise of delivering the South West Rail Link one year ahead of schedule in the election year 2015, the Government will spend $103 million on the $2.1 billion rail project.
To improve access to healthcare, $24.5 million will be spent this year on new ambulance “hub” stations at Liverpool, Bankstown, Blacktown and Penrith.
The Government will spend $83 million to fast track land releases in the south west growth centres for critical infrastructure to support new housing in suburbs like Spring Farm, Camden and Edmundson Park.
“This money will open up more land, more quickly to accelerate housing development and directly tackle the housing shortage across our state,” Treasurer Andrew Constance said.
West
Thousands of jobs will be created by the infrastructure spending plans.
Source: News Corp Australia
Roads in western Sydney are one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Government’s pre-election infrastructure spend.
The West Connex motorway is a major commitment with a total of $398 million to be spent in 2014-15 on both planning and construction. More than $100 million of that will go toward starting the widening of the M4 and $266 million to fast track planning and land acquisition.
Roads around the second Sydney airport planned for Badgery’s Creek will be upgraded to the tune of $109 million with works to start on Bringelly Road and planning for a new motorway between the M7 and The Northern Road.
For road upgrades in western Sydney, $209 million will help complete sections of Schofields Roads, Richmond Road and the Camden Valley Way and commence the Old Wallgrove Road upgrade.
The upgrade of the Great Western Freeway continues with $133 million to complete the Woodford to Hazelbrook and Bullaburra to Wentworth Falls upgrades.
Treasurer Andrew Constance said this year’s Budget funds the largest road and rail projects in the nation’s history.
“Sydney is choked with congestion and we are tackling the problem,” he said.
For Penrith, a new special needs school has been announced for Glenmore Park as part of a $189 million program for schools this year. The school is due for completion in 2017.
$100 million over four years will go to western Sydney parklands including $15 million for a ‘superpark’ at Bungaribee at Blacktown.
Bus commuters from western Sydney will benefit from the $91 million to be spent on 199 new buses.
One of the centrepieces of the Baird government’s infrastructure plan for western Sydney is the major redevelopment of Westmead Hospital.
Stage one of the $400 million upgrade will be complete in four to five years.
Source: The Daily Telegraph by Adam Bell. Full article.
