The state government has come under intense scrutiny over Sydney’s patchwork of toll roads,and the long-term deals it brokered that guarantee the cost of using the new motorways steadily increases for decades.
Ahead of next year’s state election campaign expected to be dominated by cost-of-living pressures,the NSW government is working on a plan to reform the entire network,though Roads Minister Natalie Ward said there was no fast,politically expedient answer to the problem.
NSW Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward says the government cannot be afraid of drastically reforming the state’s tolling network.Louise Kennerley
“There are no quick fixes to this,we can’t keep kicking it into the long grass. We can’t be afraid of reform,” Ward told theHerald.
“The question is how do we pay the mortgage for building essential infrastructure,such as motorways,while at the same time disentangling the complex legacy of terms and conditions to create a more streamlined approach to tolling.”
While the state is formulating a relatively short-term measure to help alleviate the burden of tolls before next month’s budget,the government’s major reform is still months from completion.
Terms of reference for the review into Sydney’s tolling regime revealed the inequality of the network would form a key focus of the investigation,while also attempting to address inconsistencies in pricing which is leading to confusion among motorists.
Ward,who was promoted to the roads portfolio late last year,acknowledged the financial strain the city’s toll system could have on western Sydney motorists and said decentralising the city to reduce the number of people forced to travel long distances could go some way in addressing that problem.
“We can look at ways that we can keep it fair and equitable knowing that young people in western Sydney travel further. We need to look at ways that we can get that balance right,” she said.
Ward said no major option had been ruled out of the reform package,including wider distance-based charges,an option that Premier Dominic Perrottet.
“We will be looking at all the options – that’s one of them,” she said of distance-based pricing,which is already used on some of Sydney’s motorways,while others charge a set fee.
The Labor opposition has seized on escalating toll prices,and is targeting a swath of western and south-western Sydney seats held on single-digit margins by the Coalition including Penrith,East Hills and Holsworthy.
Asked whether she believed tolls could shift votes at the 2023 election,Ward said cost-of-living would form part of people’s consideration.
While the government has sold long-term tolling concessions to the private sector to finance the construction of major motorways including WestConnex,it is now facing increasing costs across its signature $108 billion infrastructure pipeline. Ward said reassessing timelines for future major projects was a necessary step.
The massive Beaches Link is,though Ward insisted the motorway – which would connect the future Western Harbour Tunnel to the northern beaches – remained part of the state’s “big vision”.
“I think we’ve been quite clear that we are looking at how we prioritise the pipeline we’ve got … We’ve been through a global financial crisis,” she said.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories,analysis and insights..