"The cost of major contracts for a motorway to Sydney’s new international airport has surged again, this time by $152 million, piling financial pressure on the project jointly funded by the federal and state governments.
"Tender documents show the estimated cost of the western section of the M12 motorway has risen by $78 million to $659 million, and the central part by $47 million to $510 million. In addition, two contracts for design work by consultants have almost doubled to $68 million.
"Greens transport spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann said the government did not question forking out millions of dollars more when costs inevitably blew out for new motorways, yet baulked at providing reliable public transport services for south-west Sydney."
“'The public needs to be reassured that the highest level of scrutiny is being applied to these massive contracts by the government, particularly when costs are regularly revised upwards at a tune of millions of dollars at a time,' she said."
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/construction-of-motorway-to-sydney-s-new-airport-hits-financial-bumps-again-20250324-p5lm2s.html
A couple of thoughts on this one.
First, this is yet another example of how the neoliberal infrastructure procurement policies that Australia has imported from America and Britain have led to more expensive infrastructure.
You don't save money by cutting back on public servants, and outsourcing the design and management of big infrastructure projects to the private sector.
Secondly, the Minns government's decision to cut back on the proposed additional metro links to the Western Sydney Airport, yet keep the motorways, us looking particularly foolish.
#nswpol #auspol #sydney #nsw #fuckcars
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