Federal Budget 2019: M12 motorway receives major chunk of funding

An additional $405 million worth of funding is set to go towards the development of the M12 motorway, thanks to 2019 Federal Budget plans revealed by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

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Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of additional funds will go towards the development of the M12 motorway as part of the Federal Government’s 2019 Budget.

Tonight Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced an additional $405 million worth of funding for the project, which will involve the construction of a new east-west motorway between the M7 Motorway near Cecil Hills and The Northern Road at Luddenham.

Australian Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg speaks at the dispatch box during the delivery of the 2019 Budget at Canberra. Picture: Lukas Coch

The Australian Government has already contributed $997 million worth of funding to the new 16km motorway, which will serve as the major access route to the Western Sydney Airport and connect to Sydney’s motorway network.

Proposed work — expected to cost a total of $1.2 billion to complete — include a four lane motorway, with provisions for up to six lanes in the future, connections to the Northern Rd and an interchange connecting to the M7.

The hundred million dollar cash-splash around the developing Western Sydney Airport comes as part of a $7.3 billion dollar infrastructure spend across NSW aimed “to bust congestion, improve safety and better connect towns and regions.

The funding for the M12 comes as budget documents revealed $3.5 billion would go towards the delivery of the North-South Rail Link, supercharging the Aerotropolis and agribusiness precinct as well as initiating an Aerospace Institute.

Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities Department documents suggest construction of the M12 is expected to commence in 2020 and be completed prior to the Western Sydney Airport opening in 2026.

Budget papers also revealed the Government have committed to a massive increase in the Urban Congestion Fund, increasing from $1 billion to $4 billion, including $95 million worth of funding for the upgrade of The Horsley Drive, Wetherill Park, with “projects to target congestion in some of our worst affected urban areas”.

An artist impression of what the inside of the Greater Western Sydney Airport will look like upon completion.

This fund includes a $500 million to establish the commuter car park fund to allow more people to park and ride, taking tens of thousands of cars off our major roads per day, a road safety package of $2.2 billion, including $1.1 billion for vital maintenance and repair, $550 million in increased funding for the Black Spots Program, and an additional $571 million for bridge renewals and safety including heavy vehicles.