PREMIER’S HIDDEN REVIEW IS A HANDBRAKE ON TOLL REFORM IN THE MOST TOLLED CITY IN THE WORLD
While tolls are surging across Sydney, Liberal Premier Dominic Perrottet refuses to release his government’s long awaited review of Sydney’s tolling regime.
The review was announced in 2021, and was due to report back in September 2022, and was supposed to help untangle the toll road mess created by Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals.
The NSW Liberal Government’s plan for toll relief which starts today, will barely deliver for drivers in a year when tolls in Sydney – the most tolled city in the world – are growing faster than ever before.
The Liberal Party’s ‘relief’ offers motorists a rebate of up to $750 per year for drivers that pay more than $375 per anum in tolls.
But the relief is worth less already after Westconnex tolls on the M4, M5 East and M8 have increased by a whopping 6.1 per cent in one go – the largest ever single toll increase.
Sydney’s regular commuters can expect to be slammed with an average annual toll bill of over $4,500, on the WestConnex M4 alone, in 2023.
Commuters who use the Hills M2 or Northconnex will see their average annual toll bill surge by almost $300 this year.
Five of the city’s toll roads will see an increase of over seven per cent – this is almost double the rate of toll increases last year.
Meanwhile Northconnex will have seen quarterly toll increases totalling 7.35 per cent over the past year.
Over the remaining life of the existing toll road contract, Sydney motorists will pay $115 billion, all going to private toll road operators.
And given 17 out of the 20 most tolled communities in NSW are in Western Sydney, drivers in the west will be hit the hardest – tolls are a secret tax on Western Sydney
But instead of looking to make things better for drivers hit with these massive toll increases, the Liberals are trying to hide the truth from Sydney motorists.
John Graham, NSW Shadow Minister for Roads:
“The fact this review is being hidden is an admission that tolls are out of control in Sydney.”
“Because of Dominic Perrottet, Sydney is the most tolled city in the world.”
“Releasing this review is a chance for a genuine city-wide discussion about toll reform during the election campaign. Instead, it appears the Premier has simply given up.”
“I am calling on the Premier to reconsider and release this report.”
