Regional areas in Australia will be better connected to cities in a $10 billion National Rail program outlined in Tuesday’s budget.
The east coast of Australia will see $8.4 billion in funding for the Melbourne to Brisbane Rail project.
The inter-city rail line aims to improve Australia’s freight infrastructure which is predicted to increase significantly over the next few decades.
“To support growth we choose to invest in building Australia, rail by rail, runway by runway and road by road," Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison said in his Budget speech.
"The Turnbull Government will establish a $10 billion national rail program to deliver rail projects that provide better connections for our cities and regions, and create new opportunities to grow our economy."
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The federal government’s regional investment comes after the Productivity Commission reported country regions in Australia are being left behind when it comes to the nation’s overall economic growth.
State specific rail projects are set for Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
This includes $1 billion for regional rail projects across Victoria, as well as the opportunity for a business case to be made for a rail link to Tullamarine and duplication of the Geelong-Waurn Ponds line.
There will also be an extra $12.8 million in Tasmania as part of the $59.8 million commitment to freight rail revitalisation.
And in Queensland there is the possibility of funding for the Cross River Rail project under the $10 billion national rail program.
In the state’s capital cities, different rail projects will be funded providing they have “a proven business case,” the Treasurer said.
This includes AdeLINK, Brisbane Metro, Tullamarine Rail Link, Cross River Rail in Brisbane, and the Western Sydney Airport Rail Link.
The rail investment is part of a massive infrastructure spend by the federal government which also includes money for a new Western Sydney Airport, as well as improvements for major roads in Western Australia and Queensland.
- With AAP
