Crucial federal funding worth $1 billion for the delay-plagued North-South Corridor has been pushed beyond the forward estimates, a Senate Estimates Hearing has been told.
The revelation came to light on Friday when an Infrastructure and Transport Department official told a Senate Committee “we’ve moved a little over a billion dollars, about 1.1 billion, out of the forward estimates for that project”.
The revelation came to light on Friday when an Infrastructure and Transport Department official told a Senate Committee “we’ve moved a little over a billion dollars, about 1.1 billion, out of the forward estimates for that project”.
The funding bombshell is the latest hit on the major project as the Federal Labor Government’s commitment to the build – with the final design now rumoured to cost as much as $15 billion – appears to be dwindling by the second.
The lack of support falls in line with Federal Labor drastically winding back funding for South Australian road and infrastructure projects. The latest Budget allocates a measly $460 million over the next decade in new funding for South Australia.
The previous Coalition Budget budgeted $741.9 million more than Labor on South Australian road investment under the Infrastructure Investment Program across the forward estimates.
Assistant Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tony Pasin said Labor is putting the biggest infrastructure project in South Australian history in the slow lane.
“It’s crystal clear that the huge cuts in funding for SA infrastructure projects means the Federal Labor Government has no faith in Peter Malinauskas to get the job done,” he said.
“That’s why a billion dollars has fallen off the books for the final stage of the North-South Corridor. Anthony Albanese and Peter Malinauskas simply can’t be trusted when it comes to road in infrastructure projects in South Australia.”
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Vincent Tarzia, said the Malinauskas Labor Government has gained a reputation for cost blowouts and delays.
“The North-South Corridor has been delayed by years and is set to cost billions more, the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital is more than a billion over budget and won’t be delivered this decade,” he said.
“With Peter Malinauskas you’re guaranteed cost blowouts and huge delays on some of our most crucial infrastructure projects.
“It’s unacceptable and it now appears as if the Federal Government is fed up too. Without their financial support it’s just a pipedream.
“Peter Malinauskas needs to come clean about the future of the North-South Corridor project so South Australians can have some certainty.”
