THE NORTHERN Territory Government has announced a record $322m roads package as part of an unprecedented $1.3b infrastructure investment in Budget 2009.
Treasurer Delia Lawrie says the roads package is $51m or 19% more that the 2008 figure and would create jobs.
‘Protecting Territory jobs and building the Territory is at the core of Budget 2009 and boosting roads funding will contribute to the creation of 2500 jobs across the construction sector,’ she says.
‘Roads infrastructure spending will create jobs during construction, open up the Territory for greater economic investment and efficiency, and that means more jobs in our pastoral, mining and tourism sectors.
‘The Territory Government continues to work with the Commonwealth on many road infrastructure projects including the $110m Tiger Brennan Drive extension
‘Under this project, Budget 2009 will continue the $89m 7.5km extension and deliver co-investment funding for the $11m Berrimah Road Rail Overpass project.’
The Territory Government is also delivering initiatives to improve traffic flow on the existing Tiger Brennan Drive in Budget 2009, including $6m for road duplication from Dinah Beach Road to Woolner Road and $2m for passing lanes between Berrimah Road and Woolner Road.
Commitments to other road projects include increasing the repairs and maintenance budget by $6m to $77m and joint Northern and Commonwealth funding of $19 million for community, beef and mining roads, including the Buntine, Plenty and Tanami highways, Maryvale Road and Wollogorang road bridge over the McArthur River.
Also included in the 2009 budget is $5m for overtaking lanes on the Stuart Highway between Darwin and Katherine, $5 million for road safety initiatives on the Stuart, Barkly and Victoria highways and $2.2 million for level crossing upgrades.
Ms Lawrie says Budget 2009 will deliver an extra $3.9m to the roads infrastructure and public transport budget through the cessation of the 1.1c per litre fuel subsidy.
‘The Parry Report indicated that Territory fuel prices were driven by the low volume of fuel sold and lack of vigorous competition,’ Lawrie says.
‘These market conditions raised valid questions as to whether the subsidy is actually being passed on to consumers, particularly in regional areas.
‘Tasmania and Victoria abolished similar subsidies and this resulted in no noticeable impact on prevailing fuel prices in these states and we have decided Territorians are better served by redirecting these funds to the substantially increased roads and public transport budget.’
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