Congestion funds ‘not going where needed’

Analysis of the Morrison government‘s $4.8 billion Urban Congestion Fund has revealed NSW received the least of any state, despite having eight of the nation’s ten most congested roads.

Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher. Picture: Gary Ramage

Analysis of the Morrison government’s $4.8bn Urban Congestion Fund – the parent program of the widely criticised Car Park Commuter Fund – shows NSW received the least of almost all states, despite having eight of the nation’s 10 most congested roads.

Widespread issues with the fund’s allocation have emerged since the Australian National Audit Office found in June that projects for the $660m car park component of the fund were selected after MPs and candidates were canvassed by then urban infrastructure minister Alan Tudge

The consultation among urban Liberal MPs led to the creation of a top 20 marginals spreadsheet, which saw Josh Frydenberg propose four projects for his Kooyong seat, including the estimates for each project.

One car park was set up for a train station set to be demolished.

Designed to reduce congestion in urban areas, a breakdown of the multibillion-dollar fund reveals that despite Sydney having some of the worst traffic gridlock in the country, NSW will receive less funding than almost every other state – only behind South Australia and Tasmania.

An analysis of the UCF by the Labor Party shows that on a per capita basis, NSW received $79 while Western Australia received more than three times that levelling of funding at $257 per capita. Victoria received more than double NSW’s funding on a per capita basis at $193 while Queensland received $95 per capita.

Budget projections for the UCF show that over the forward estimates, Victoria will receive $1.2bn and WA will receive $778.5m. NSW will get $580.4m.

The annualised cost of Sydney’s road congestion – costing $8bn in 2016 – will almost double to $15.7bn in 2031.

In July, ANAO executive director Brian Boyd told a parliamentary inquiry the genesis for the UCF began with an electorate rather than “where congestion is the greatest”.

Opposition infrastructure spokes­woman Catherine King said Sydney residents were being “dudded” by the Morrison government when it came to infrastructure spending.

“Sydney is Australia’s most congested city, but over the next four years the city will receive less than half the congestion funding of Melbourne,” she said. “Instead of focusing on getting Sydneysiders home from work quicker, the Prime Minister is focused on marginal seats in Melbourne.”

Despite the uneven outlay of infrastructure spending, a spokeswoman for Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher said each state was “absolutely getting its fare share”. His office identified multiple infrastructure investments, including the $5.3bn Western Sydney Airport, which weren’t connected to the UCF.