ALGA analysis of the 2018-19 Federal Budget

Transport

Key points

ALGA’s analysis of the 2018-19 Federal budget for local government from a transport perspective.

• Budget includes $24.5b in funding for new major transport project;
• This forms part of the Government’s $75b transport infrastructure investment over the next decade;
• The Government is establishing the $3.5b Roads of Strategic Importance Initiative to upgrade key freight routes to improve road safety and better connect key sectors;
• A $1b Urban Congestion Fund will be established to address congestion in cities;
• $250m will be provided to a newly established Major Project Business Case Fund for development and planning of nationally significant projects; and
• $160m to upgrade sections of the Outback Way.

Commonwealth funding for Local Roads in 2016-17

• Roads to Recovery: $364.5 million
• Identified Local Road Grants: $377.7 million
• Black Spots: $85 million
• Bridges Renewal: $85 million

Total local government road funding allocation for jurisdictions in 2018-19 is set out in the table below ($m).

State	Roads to Recovery	Bridges Renewal (competitive)	Identified Local Roads Grants	Black Spots	Supplementary SA roads	Total
NSW	85.4	35.7	109.6	25.5		256.2
VIC	75.5	8.5	77.9	19.3		181.2
QLD	85.8	23.4	70.8	17.6		197.6
WA	63.3	8.3	57.8	10.6		140.0
SA	32.6	2.9	20.8	6.2	20.0	82.5
TAS	11.2	2.6	20.0	2.6		36.4
ACT	1.5	1.2	12.1	1.4		16.2
NT	9.3	2.3	8.8	1.8		22.2
TOTAL	364.6	84.9	377.8	85.0	20.0	932.3

*Note: sum of the components may not add to the total due to rounding and do not include local roads grants from 2018-19, being paid in 2017-18. $1.2b on Financial Assistance Grants will be bought forward from 2018-19.

Key announcements by jurisdiction

The Federal Government has allocated funding to the following projects in 2018-19.  Note that many announcements are related to components of previously announced projects.

NSW

• $50m Business Case for first stage of North South Rail Link
• $5.3b Western Sydney Airport
• $2.9b Road linkages for Western Sydney
• $971m Coffs Harbour Bypass
• $400m duplication Port Botany Rail Line
• $155m new bridge Nowra

VIC

• $3B commitment to East West link
• $5b Airport Rail link
• $1.75b North East Link
• $475m better public transport Monash
• $225m Frankston Rail Line electrification
• $140m urban congestion
• $132m duplication from Traralgon to Sale
• $50m duplication Geelong Rail line between South Geelong and Waun Ponds
• $20m international services Avalon Airport

QLD

• $3.3b additional for Bruce highway
• $1b M1 Pacific Highway
• $390m duplicate North Coast rail line
• $300m Brisbane metro project
• $170m Cunningham Highway
• $1.5b as part of Roads of Strategic Importance Fund

WA

• $1.05b additional to Metronet
• $944m Perth congestion package
• $560m Bunbury Outer Ring
• $220m for Great Northern Highway Bindoon Bypass
• $1.5b as part of Roads of Strategic Importance Fund

SA

• $1.4b additional to North South Corridor
• $220m Gawler Rail line
• $160m Joy Baluch Bridge

TAS

• $461m Bridgewater Bridge Replacement
• $400m Roads of Strategic Importance
• $59.8m Tas Freight Rail revitalisation

ACT

• $100m Monaro Highway upgrade
• $100m Roads of Strategic Importance

NT

• $180m Central Arnhem Road Upgrade
• $100m Buntine Highway Upgrade
• $1.5B Roads of Strategic Importance Fund 

Other related transport funding:

• Funding received by NSW and Vic for their share of Snowy Hydro ($4.2b and $2.1b) will be invested in infrastructure in these states; and
• $28.3m over 4 years to provide a further three funding rounds for the Remote Airstrip Upgrade component of the Regional Aviation Access Program