Government axes funding for more than 80 infrastructure projects

Funding for more than 80 infrastructure projects across the country has been scrapped by the federal government in an effort to contain spending.

Transcript

00:00 The federal government has confirmed 50 infrastructure projects across Australia will no longer go

00:07 ahead, including fast rail, road and intersection upgrades and car parks.

00:13 It comes after a review found some lacked strategic rationale and in many cases were

00:18 at high risk of further cost blowouts or delays.

00:22 Basically, the government says they weren't realistic in the $120 billion budget allocation.

00:29 New South Wales has lost the biggest number with 17 gone, while Victoria has had 12 cut.

00:36 Transport Minister Catherine King says deciding on what's getting more funding and what's

00:41 been cut has been a negotiation with the states and territories, but she says the overall

00:45 funding to states and territories hasn't been cut.

00:49 These decisions do ensure that the investment pipeline from the Commonwealth remains affordable,

00:54 delivers better outcomes for the Australian people in the long term and are aligned with

00:58 government priorities.

01:00 At the start of the review I said we would not cut funding from the $120 billion pipeline.

01:06 It was not a savings exercise and we have honoured that.

01:11 All states and territories have maintained their funding in the pipeline that they previously

01:16 had.

01:17 Over the next decade, the federal government says more than 400 projects are set to be

01:21 finished or almost finished.

01:24 Those include the Logan to Gold Coast Faster Rail, the M1 Pacific Motorway extension in

01:29 New South Wales, the North South Corridor in Adelaide and the Metronet in WA.

01:35 Other major projects have also been reaffirmed with $5 billion committed to the long-awaited

01:40 Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

01:42 [BLANK_AUDIO]