MEDIA RELEASE The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government 18 June 2009 AA307/2009

NEW STATS: ANNUAL FEDERAL ROADS BUDGET UP 70 PER CENT New statistics confirm the unprecedented scale of the Rudd Labor Government's roads budget which is already supporting jobs today by building the road infrastructure Australia will need tomorrow. The latest Transport Statistics Yearbook reveals the average annual road spend during the Howard Government's last 6 years was just $2.7 billion.  By contrast, we will invest an average of $4.7 billion a year over 6 years - an increase of more than 70 per cent. Source: Australian Transport Statistic Yearbook 2009, p 27; 2009 Budget Papers The Howard Government's legacy is made even more shameful when you consider the tens of billions of extra dollars that were flowing into Treasury coffers as a result of the once in a generation mining boom. Despite the global recession and the ending of the mining boom, the Rudd Labor Government is determined to reverse this decade long underinvestment. Our much larger roads budget will deliver over 120 major projects; additional assistance for local roads; upgrades to thousands of dangerous black spots; safety measures at high risk level crossings; and additional rest stops for truckies. A number of the projects that have now secured funding were put on the 'never-never' by the previous government including upgrading the Bruce Highway, the widening of the Ipswich Motorway, and construction of the Kempsey Bypass and Hunter Expressway. Under this Government, higher road spending is being complemented by a much greater investment in rail - $7.9 billion over 6 years. A full copy of the Transport Statistics Yearbook can be downloaded from: www.bitre.gov.au.   Media Contacts Jeff Singleton ( Albanese's Office ) 0410 476 890   URL: http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2009/June/aa307_2009.htm