NSW BUDGET 2020/21 – Transport to make up 56% of capital expenditure over 4 years
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has revealed the budget allocations to multiple ongoing and new public transport projects in and around the Sydney CBD. These projects are said to take up 56% of the state’s capital expenditure up to 2024.
As we reported in the previous Express, the second stage of the Parramatta Light Rail is still up in the air. So, while the first stage has been allocated more than $500 million in funding for 2020/21, there was no mention of funding for Stage Two. Nor was there any update since the NSW Transport Minister’s “trackless trams” comment from last week.
Buses and services have been allocated more than $1.6 billion. This includes those servicing school routes and regional areas.
Despite the claim to stimulate more jobs in public transport through the budget, this comes after we reported in the previous Express that Mr. Perrottet defended the government’s 1.5% public sector wage cap as part of the budget strategy to address the COVID-19 economic crisis and called it a “generous policy”.