The Australian Government makes nationally significant investments in land transport infrastructure across Australia through its $120 billion Infrastructure Investment Program.
This program aims to improve the productivity of Australia’s land transport networks by working with every state and territory to build much-needed infrastructure across a number of individual funding programs.
Communities will continue to benefit from the Infrastructure Investment Program with shorter and safer travel, more liveable cities, suburbs and regions, while the economy benefits from the certainty brought by a smoother delivery of investment matched to project timelines.
At a national level, the Government has committed to upgrading key road freight routes across the country and improving passenger rail travel times through faster rail initiatives. It has pledged to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on our roads under the Road Safety Program.
The Government is committed to high-speed rail with the High Speed Rail Authority to be established in June 2023. The first priority of the Authority will be for planning, corridor protection and early works for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network, with a $500 million investment to this fast-growing region of the east coast.
The Government’s investments are based on long-term planning, including robust project identification and selection processes. This longer-term commitment provides certainty for stakeholders, allowing industry to efficiently manage skills and resources, and allowing state and territory governments to consider the most effective sequencing of major projects to maintain capacity in the construction sector. It is designed to ensure that Australia’s national land transport system is well-placed to meet future challenges.