Promises to increase WestConnex speed limit are policymaking thought bubbles

The major political parties in NSW have shared a curious bipartisan thought bubble on WestConnex speed limits just as the state election campaign entered its final week. Both wish to increase the speed limit on the motorway from 80 kilometres per hour to 90 kilometres an hour.

This comes as something of a surprise. Motorway speed limits had not previously been a first-order issue in the campaign. But there was Premier Dominic Perrottet on some front pages promising a Liberal-Nationals government would raise the WestConnex speed limit. He said it would save motorists commuting from Penrith to the CBD almost two minutes a day, or up to 18 minutes a week. “Time is money, and if we can get tradies to work faster, that means they can spend more time with their families, but ultimately as well, spend more time at work,” he said. For good measure, Perrottet also declared he would ask bureaucrats to review all 80 km/h speed limits on other motorways too.

The major political parties have promised to increase speed limits on the WestConnex.Credit: Louie Douvis

The Labor leader, Chris Minns, agreed, telling 2GB listeners that raising the speed limit was sensible. “We want people to get home quicker. A good idea is a good idea.”

Motorways and their perceived role in garnering voter support seem to exercise a historic allure for politicians. In 1995, the then opposition leader Bob Carr promised to scrap tolls on the M4 and M5 motorways and, as a result, Labor picked up two Liberal-held seats – Badgerys Creek and the Blue Mountains – and won government. Never mind the toll money was part of the contract, a slight problem Carr deftly sidestepped by inventing the enduring cashback scheme.

For its part, the Coalition after it took office in 2011 spent heavily on road projects, including $17 billion on the 33-kilometre WestConnex motorway, linking western Sydney via the city with Sydney Airport and Port Botany, so that it now carries 271,000 vehicles a day with 250 million trips made every year.

Clearly, the major parties see the election being decided by Western Sydney voters. Any proposal to up the WestConnex speed limit will undoubtedly appeal to some voters. But, despite the “fast lane” headline grabber, the reality is that any decision for a 90 km/h limit is in the hands of public servants, not political party leaders. Whether it happens ultimately depends on Transport for NSW: a Coalition or Labor government will need to ask the agency to conduct a safety review and raise the speed limit if appropriate. And even then, as Perrottet admitted, there would not be a decision until before the end of the year.

Transport for NSW sinks much expertise and research into determining safe speed limits on the state’s patchwork of roads and motorways. Such decisions are predicated on a host of inputs including traffic flow, pollution levels from stacks and safety factors, all assessed by experienced professionals. There was a suggestion behind Perrottet’s support for increased speed limits that WestConnex tunnels – including the newly opened M4-M8 link – were built to 90km/h standards, which begs the question of why the bureaucrats stuck with the lower limit.

It is baffling that both Perrottet and Minns have decided to dispense with policy and professionalism and instead appeal to commuters in tight western Sydney seats as the election campaign draws to an end. Of course, there is no evidence that the WestConnex speed limit needs any adjustment. The calls by both leaders suggest they may have run out of ideas and are content to chase headlines rather than stay on message and provide NSW voters with a clear direction for the state’s future.

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