Costa promises big NSW capital works spending

<p>The New South Wales Government will put almost $50bn into what it is calling a &#8220record capital works program&#8221 over the next four years, but just $5.7bn will go into transport, most of it passenger rail.</p> <p>The NSW budget tabled yesterday (Tuesday, June 19) has the state recording a $376m surplus in 2007&#4708 and projects $500m surpluses for the next three years.</p> <p>Treasurer Michael Costa said the focus of the transport spending was on improving reliability on the passenger rail network.</p> <p>The most expensive transport funding is $300m to continue duplication of the Hume Highway, with $460m still to be spent before the end of the 2009&#4710 financial year.</p> <p>The Coolac Bypass of the highway has $60m allocated in 2007&#4708, while improvements to the Great Western Highway will cost $53m next year and another $391m by 2011.</p> <p>The Buladelah Bypass of the Pacific Highway, 240 km north of Sydney, will cost $20m in 2007&#4708, but another $200m is expected to be allocated over the next four years.</p> <p>The Australian Rail Track Corporation’s acquisition of the north and southwest freight rail corridors &#8211 which is expected to run ahead of the late-2007 schedule &#8211 will cost $160m in 2007&#4708.</p> <p>Opposition leader Barry O’Farrell said the State Government’s focus on infrastructure came despite the Government having not spent almost $0.5bn promised to be allocated to capital works last year.</p> <p>NSW Nationals leader Andrew Stoner said the budget showed that the Government was not prepared to address the growing divide between the city and the country.</p> <br />