Project Sydney: Will drivers be slugged for new motorways?

PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian says it’s too early to rule tolls in or out for the new M9 and M12 motorways, revealed exclusively by The Daily Telegraph today.

• Three new major motorways will put the city in the fast lane

PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian says it’s too early to rule tolls in or out for the new M9 and M12 motorways.

The Daily Telegraph today revealed the state will pump tens of millions into planning money for key upgrades to Sydney’s congested road network.

“This Budget will record amounts to road funding but it will also start serious work on a lot of those road projects which have been in the too-hard basket for too long,” she said.

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“We’re a government that’s absolutely committed to building roads and public transport like we’ve never seen before in NSW.”

But it remains to be seen to what degree motorists will be slugged to use the new roads.

“You can’t build a new road, unfortunately, in this modern era without having a toll on it,” she said.

The Premier later clarified that she meant “in most instances” when it came to major projects.

“If we can think of innovative ways to build those roads without having to have any tolls on them, we will do that,” she said.

Aerial view of new Westlink M7 orbital motorway at junction with M4 at Eastern Creek in Sydney.

State Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“But I don’t want to rule that in or out, it’s too early at this stage.”

Ms Berejiklian said it was “too early to say” whether there would definitely be tolls on the new M9 and M12 but noted:

“Our policy is obviously that when we build a new road that if we do toll it, we always have a free alternative,” she said.

Ms Berejiklian also pointed out that while Labor continued to whinge about the number of tolls, it was not promising to scrap them.