LABOR'S $500m commitment to start work on the Sydney to Newcastle high-speed rail project is locked in as part of a nearly $10 billion infrastructure cash splash across the country.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The federal government is pledging $9.6 billion in the October budget as it lays out spending for the 2022-23 year.
"It's about making journeys quicker but also making sure people can get home to their families safely," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday.
"Sound and planned infrastructure investment in Australia creates jobs, builds opportunity and unlocks economic growth and productivity for our cities and our regions."
The $500m will go towards securing a corridor between Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said fast rail was part of the goverment's "vision" for the regions.
"The NSW Government's projections show the population of the Central Coast and the Hunter Valley growing by some 200,000 by 2040, making better transport connections a necessity," Ms King said.
Victoria is one of the biggest winners, with $2.2 billion to help fund the state's Suburban Rail Link.
There will be $300 million for western Sydney roads and another $500 million for the High Speed Rail Authority.
Freight highways in the heart of South Australia will get a $1.5 billion upgrade and maintenance package.
Brisbane and Tasmanian roads will see between $500 million to $600 million each to upgrade road corridors, while Perth will get $125 million in funding for an electric bus network.
But the scheme has already draw criticism, with Australia's most populous state NSW receiving about $1 billion in funding compared with $2.57 billion to Victoria.
Ms King admitted that was due to a contentious relationship with NSW's coalition government.
"We had a slightly different relationship in opposition with the Victorians as we did with NSW, so we didn't really have a lot of projects on the table from opposition with them," she told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday.
IN THE NEWS:
"But we'll talk to the NSW government in the lead-up to the May budget as to where their priorities are."
At least one of the those potential projects would be raising the Warragamba Dam, which will cost $1.6 billion.
Ms King said that would be discussed before next year's budget.
It also means the end of cash for so-called "zombie projects" that had been sitting flagged but never realised in budgets under the previous coalition government, including the East-West link in Victoria and the Perth Freight Link.
The Northern Territory will receive a $2.5 billion boost, including $332 million towards the NT Strategic Roads Package.
"Good infrastructure helps strengthen the economy and build connections between communities," she said.
The $9.6 billion pledge follows a promise unveiled on Saturday by Mr Albanese to add another six weeks to the government-funded parental leave package by 2026.
It would mean Australians could access six months of parental leave, which the prime minister hoped would inspire the private sector to set the new limit as a "baseline".
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Scroll down to leave a comment.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
