The recent release of the Federal Government’s new land transport plan, AusLink, has started a bidding war for road development across Australia in the run up to the Federal election. The Federal Government has set out $11.8 billion in land transport spending, including a massive upgrade of Australia’s east coast road and rail systems. The Federal Opposition claims AusLink did not go far enough and spelt out different spending priorities, particularly on the Deer Park Bypass in Victoria.
While the coalition announced $80 million funding in five years time, the ALP promised to fully fund the project to the tune of $294 million in the first year. Opposition Shadow Transport Minister Martin Ferguson said while Federal Labor welcomed the additional funding for transport, it was not enough.
“The AusLink announcement is not a nation building plan for Australia, it is an election year transport makeover to satisfy the Howard Government’s political needs,” Martin Ferguson said. “The Howard Government’s adoption of Labor’s policy for a national land transport plan, AusLink, falls well short of the Commonwealth accepting its responsibilities for Australia’s national transport system. Instead the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads are imposing the Howard Government’s electoral priorities, part funding cherry picked projects and leaving the States to pick up the tab for the remainder.”
Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson defended the package saying there was a $3.6 billion increase in the Government’s land transport funding. He said the massive increase showed that the Government was determined to meet the long term transport challenges facing Australia by building infrastructure projects of lasting benefit.
The ALGA aired its concerns over the strategic component of the renewed Roads to Recovery program. It welcomed the $4 billion for local roads, under the extended program, but ALGA President, Mike Montgomery, said there was a strong call by Local Governments to have regional allocations. The Government has not provided set regional or State allocations.
The Local Government Association of Queensland and the Western Australian Local Government Association have also expressed concern over their respective State’s share of AusLink funding.
