It’s been over a year since the election of the Minns Labor Government and it has become clear that it doesn’t understand the cost-of-living challenges facing the people of NSW.
From scrapping back to school support or presiding over declining rental affordability, this is a government that is out of touch with the real pressures being felt in our community.
We’ve now seen the government refuse to rule out recommendations by its own road tolling review that would introduce new tolls and increase existing tolls for up to 40 percent of trips.
This includes recommendations to impose two-way tolling on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, and Eastern Distributor. Currently these roads are only tolled in one direction.
This is contrary to promises to ease the burden on motorists.
The government immediately ruled out recommendations for scrapping the toll cashbacks that exist in Western Sydney. No commitments were made for our community.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is 92 years old this year and tolls on the Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel have long been one-way, with infrastructure costs fully repaid years ago.
I’ve stood up in Parliament and moved a motion condemning these moves and directly asked of the Minister in Question Time to assure the motorists of NSW that they will not be any worse off under the Government’s tolling reforms. The Minister declined to give that guarantee instead displaying contempt for the real concerns faced by local motorists and families.
In Government, the Liberals invested in building new road infrastructure such as the Western Harbour Tunnel. The current government is instead cancelling local road projects such as Beaches Link – without any congestion busting alternative – and adding tolls to infrastructure long paid off.
Labor is responsible for the existing tolls in the Willoughby area – M2, Lane Cove Tunnel and Military Road ramp.
These potential reforms come on top of Labor recently abolishing a scheme that offered half price registration to good drivers that saved motorists hundreds of dollars each.
I’m calling on the Minns Labor Government’s to decisively oppose imposing tolling in both directions of the Bridge and Tunnel, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis, and to commit to motorists that no driver will be worse of under the government’s proposals.
