2021-22 Budget includes major investment for transport infrastructure

The Australian Government has announced the 2021-22 Budget and it includes a record investment in infrastructure that will support and create jobs as well as drive growth and help rebuild the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The $110 billion, 10-year infrastructure pipeline – which is part of the Australian Government's Economic Recovery Plan – will deliver nation-building infrastructure projects, water security to inland regions, help the country meet its national freight challenge and get Australians home sooner and safer. 

Through the 2021-22 Budget, an additional $15.2 billion in new funding for infrastructure projects is committed, which will support an estimated 30,000 Australian jobs. 

To boost the country's recovery, the Government is focusing on new commitments in major infrastructure across Australia, including: 

• $2 billion for Great Western Highway Upgrade – Katoomba to Lithgow – Construction of East and West Sections in New South Wales 
• $2 billion investment to deliver a new Melbourne Intermodal Terminal 
• $400 million for Bruce Highway Additional Funding in Queensland 
• $237.5 million for METRONET: Hamilton Street / Wharf Street Grade Separation and Elevation of Associated Station in Western Australia 
• $161.6 million for the Truro Bypass in South Australia 
• $150 million for National Network Highway Upgrades (Phase 2) in the Northern Territory 
• $80 million for Bass Highway Safety and Freight Efficiency Upgrades in Tasmania 
• $26.5 million for William Hovell Drive Duplication in the Australian Capital Territory 

To date, there are over 220 major Australian Government funded projects that are already underway and these projects are anticipated to support approximately 100,000 jobs over their construction periods. 

The $2 billion commitment on a new Intermodal Freight Terminal in Melbourne will support both the Victorian and national freight networks as well as create about 1,350 jobs during its construction and a further 550 jobs at peak operation period. 

This is part of the Australian Government's commitment to deliver transformational infrastructure that will help boost productivity, efficiency and capacity of the national freight network as well as support the Government's National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy. 

The 2021-22 Budget also backs an additional $1 billion for the Road Safety Program which now has $3 billion total funding. Works commenced in January 2021, with about 700 projects approved under Tranche 1 of the program. This significant funding commitment is expected to support up to 4,500 jobs. 

Local communities will also continue to benefit from the now $2.5 billion Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program with an additional $1 billion funding from the 2021-22 Budget. This program of works will deliver local projects that matter to communities and help boost economies across Australia. This funding is projected to support about 3,500 jobs. 

To help improve water security across the regions, a further $258 million has been invested through the 2021-22 Budget for the National Water Grid. This funding is from the National Water Grid Fund that will deliver new and augmented water infrastructure projects. 

New and augmented projects funded through the Budget, in partnership with states, include: 

• Eurobodalla Southern Storage in New South Wales – $51.2 million 
• Werribee Irrigation District Modernisation in Victoria – $11 million 
• Recycled Water on the Bellarine in Victoria – $5.5 million 
• Warwick Recycled Water for Agriculture – Recycled Water Treatment Upgrade in Queensland – $500,000 
• An additional $7.5 million for Rookwood Weir to deliver water security in North Queensland by raising the weir wall a further 700 millimetres to deliver an additional 10,000 megalitres. This brings total Australian Government investment in the project to $183.6 million 

The Australian Government is also committed to continue building a stronger regional Australia through extensions to community grants programs which directly invests in social and economic infrastructure that creates jobs and builds stronger regional communities. 

Funding will directly be provided to regions through the following initiatives: 

• An additional $250 million for a sixth round of the successful Building Better Regions Fund, which builds on more than $1 billion already committed to our regional towns and cities from the Fund 
• The Australian Government has brought forward approximately 50 per cent of the 2021-22 Financial Assistance Grant funding. This cash injection of more than $1.3 billion will give councils vital support to assist with the combined impacts of drought, bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic 

The record infrastructure investment from the 2021-22 Budget will aid in Australia's recovery, create and support jobs, drive growth in the regions as well as lay the foundations for the future stages of the Australian Government's Economic Recovery Plan. 

Check out our mini wiki for Australia's 2021 infrastructure project pipeline in various stages (planning, procurement, construction, etc.) for different sectors here.

Below is the list of transport infrastructure projects funded through the 2021-22 Budget. 

Jump to State / Territory: 

• New South Wales 
• Victoria 
• Queensland 
• Western Australia 
• South Australia 
• Tasmania 
• Northern Territory 
• Australian Capital Territory 

New South Wales

Total Australian Government Funding in 2021-22 Budget for NSW: $3.02 billion

Victoria

Total Australian Government Funding in 2021-22 Budget for VIC: $2.997 billion

Queensland

Total Australian Government Funding in 2021-22 Budget for QLD: $1.6 billion

Western Australia

Total Australian Government Funding in 2021-22 Budget for WA: $1.3 billion

South Australia

Total Australian Government Funding in 2021-22 Budget for SA: $3.2 billion

Tasmania

Total Australian Government Funding in 2021-22 Budget for TAS: $322.6 million

Northern Territory

Total Australian Government Funding in 2021-22 Budget for NT: $323.9 million

Australian Capital Territory

Total Australian Government Funding in 2021-22 Budget for ACT: $167.3 million

Source: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development