MEDIA RELEASE The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government 26 April 2009 AA148/2009

AGREEMENT REACHED ON BIGGEST EVER FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN THE NATIONS ROAD AND RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE All state and territory governments have now signed onto the Rudd Labor Governments Nation Building Program, the largest ever investment in the nations road and rail infrastructure. The six year investment program provides a record $26.4 billion in Federal funding twice what the previous government spent over a similar period of time.  More than half of this funding is earmarked for projects in regional Australia. The successful outcome to the negotiations between the Commonwealth and the states and territories followed a meeting in February between the Prime Minister and all the Premiers and Chief Ministers. At that meeting the Prime Minister made clear that the Nation Building Program was central to the Rudd Governments efforts to support jobs and businesses during the current global recession. The Nation Building Program will fund routine maintenance as well as upgrades to poorly designed and congested sections of the transport network which in turn will lower transport costs, tackle the escalating cost of urban congestion, cut travel times, reduce carbon emissions and saves lives. Specifically, it will: Build more than 120 major road and 26 major rail projects or packages of work; Make available an extra $450 million in maintenance money; Provide additional assistance for local councils to maintain their local roads; Eliminate thousands of dangerous black spots; Install boom gates and other safety measures at over 250 high risk level crossings; and Construct additional rest stops for heavy vehicles. With a relatively small population spread across a vast continent, Australia is heavily reliant on its transport infrastructure, particularly the highways and interstate rail network. Although the national road network accounts for only 3 per cent of Australias total road length, it carries 15 per cent of all traffic and 18 per cent of the countrys freight and the demand is predicted to grow significantly in coming decades. Thats why upgrading Australias transport network is central to the Governments nation building agenda and essential to the countrys international competitiveness. Media Contacts Jeff Singleton ( Mr Albanese's Office ) 0410 476 890 NATION BUILDING PROGRAM: HIGHLIGHTS NSW $8.6 billion $2.5 billion Pacific Highway $950 million Hume Highway $840 million Northern Sydney Freight Line VIC $4.4 billion $900 million Western Ring Road $600 million Western Highway $250 million Princes Highway east and west QLD $6.8 billion $1.14 billion Ipswich Motorway upgrade $2.2 billion Bruce Highway $455 million Pacific Motorway WA $2.8 billion $225 million New Perth Bunbury Highway and Mandurah Entrance Road $160 million Port Hedland road upgrades $350 million Perth Urban Transport and Freight Corridor upgrade SA $1.7 billion $450 million Northern Expressway $500 million South Road upgrade $80 million Dukes Highway TAS $800 million $164 million Brighton Bypass NT $590 million $72 million Tiger Brennan Drive $160 million NT highways ACT $200 million $30 million airport precinct upgrade   URL: http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2009/April/AA148_2009.htm