‘Plans change’: NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet denies WestConnex backtrack

Dominic Perrottet says his previous comments about not privatising the Sydney motorway didn’t amount to a promise.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, left, and NSW Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance speak outside Parliament House in Sydney. Picture: AAP

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has denied backtracking on a commitment not to further privatise Sydney’s WestConnex motorway, saying that his comments to that effect last year did not amount to a promise. 

Mr Perrottet told a budget estimates hearing in NSW parliament on Monday that his assurance in December 2018 – that the government had “no plans” to sell off the motorway – were true at the time.

But “plans change”, he told the committee.

On Friday Mr Perrottet announced the NSW government would undertake a scoping study into the Sydney Motorway Corporation, the entity building WestConnex, to examine whether a long-term lease of its remaining 49 per cent stake would be viable.

The government has already sold 51 per cent of its existing stake to a Transurban-led consortium for $9.26bn — the money has since been used to fund additional road infrastructure around western Sydney.

Mr Perrottet said there was nothing misleading about his comments last year, because they were sincere statements at the time.

“I said at the time, in December 2018, that the government had no plans in relation to a future sale of Sydney Motorway Corporation,” Mr Perrottet said.

“Sounds like a broken promise to me,” Labor’s Walt Secord replied.

“No, we did not have, and I did not have, any plans,” Mr Perrottet said. “Back in December 2018, you had plans to be in government, how did that go? Plans change, Mr Secord.”

The treasurer said “even today” he did not have a plan to sell the government’s residual 49 per cent stake in the project, but would act on advice when it was provided by the scoping study.

“I may have a plan, because I have commenced a scoping study into whether or not it’s in the best interests of the people of NSW,” Mr Perrottet said.

The scoping study is expected to report back by Christmas.

Mr Secord asked Mr Perrottet if the government had plans to commence scoping studies into any other government-held entities, including Sydney Water, Hunter Water, Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy, and Services NSW.

The treasurer replied that he had “no plans” to explore long-term leasing of any of these bodies, though it was “always good” and positive for treasury and other departments to provide advice to government.

Last April the NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said a further selldown of WestConnex was “not on the agenda”.