AusLink

AusLink is a former Australian Government land transport funding program, that operated between June 2004 and 2009. The former program was administered by the former Department of Transport and Regional Services. In 2009, the program was replaced with the Nation Building Program under the Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Act 2009.^[1] The Nation Building Program was administered by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport and that program was replaced by The National Land Transport Network, as determined by the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development under the National Land Transport Act 2014.

Legislative Framework

AusLink was administered under the AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005,^[2] until the 2005 legislation was superseded by the Infrastructure Australia Act 2008,^[3] the Nation Building and Jobs Plan (State Infrastructure Delivery) Act 2009,^[4] the Nation-building Funds Act 2008^[5] and the Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Act 2009.^[1]

Road funding

Major projects completed as part of the AusLink program^[6] and information on the funding projects in the states and territories^[7]

Sydney to Melbourne

• Hume Highway Holbrook bypass ($320m: $110m contribution by NSW) - completed in August 2013.^[8]

Brisbane to Sydney

• Pacific Highway^[9] Bulahdelah bypass ($315m: $11m contribution by NSW) - construction completed in 2013.^[10]
• Pacific Highway Kempsey bypass ($618m) - Construction completed in 2014.^[11]
• Pacific Highway Sapphire to Woolgoolga upgrade ($700m: $88m contribution by NSW) - 25 km upgrade north of Coffs Harbour, construction completed in 2014.^[12]
• Pacific Highway Ballina bypass ($640m: $114 contribution by NSW) - Construction completed in 2012.^{[13][13][14][15][16]}
• Pacific Highway Banora Point upgrade ($360m: $60m contribution by NSW) - Construction completed in 2012.^{[17][18][19][20]}
• Hunter Expressway ($1.7bn: $200m contribution by NSW). Construction completed 2013.^[21][22]

Melbourne to Adelaide

• Western Highway Melton to Bacchus Marsh Freeway ($450m) - Construction completed in 2012.^[23]

Brisbane to Darwin

• Toowoomba bypass ($43m) - Planning commenced in 2008.^[24][25]

Dubbo to Sydney

• Great Western Highway Woodford to Wentworth Falls duplication^[26] - due for completion in 2014

Canberra connectors

• Barton Highway duplication - construction start date not announced (as of June 2014)^[27]
• Murrumbateman Bypass ($20m) ^{[28][29][30][31]} - project funding not yet approved.^[32]

Rail funding

Rail funding has been announced for the following projects (Auslink project search)^[33]

• $550 million from AusLink and additional Australian Rail Track Corporation funds for an upgrade the 684 km of AusLink Network track and signalling along the North-South rail corridor from Maitland to Brisbane to reduce transit times substantially and to permit more trains to operate safely on the largely single track line.
• $192 million through the Australian Rail Track Corporation for a new access route for freight trains through the south-western Sydney metropolitan area from Macarthur to Chullora, the Southern Sydney Freight Line project.
• $110 million on the RailCorp metropolitan track system towards improving rail access for freight trains between Strathfield and Hornsby. Some of these funds will be available during the later part of the current five-year AusLink investment programme, for the development of the Port Botany rail link.
• $110 million to the Government of Victoria for a new rail link and grade separation from Footscray Road between the Dynon intermodal freight precinct and the Port of Melbourne.
• $45 million to convert the broad gauge line between Geelong and Mildura and between Melbourne and Albury to standard gauge.
• $42 million to the Australian Rail Track Corporation to extend the Code Division Multiple Access mobile phone system to cover the interstate rail network. This will achieve a single national media for voice and data communications for the non-metropolitan interstate rail system. This is being provided through Telstra and will later need to be converted to 3GSM when Telstra replaces its CDMA network with 3GSM.
• $40 million to the Australian Rail Track Corporation towards the cost of the line upgrading and signalling system between Tottenham and West Footscray.
• $20.3 million to the Australian Rail Track Corporation to develop Australia's next generation of train control technology, including the capacity for computerised on-board signalling to replace the current track-side system, satellite-based location technology to track trains to within 3 metres, and a computerised warning system that alerts drivers to impending dangers.
• $20 million towards a Wodonga rail bypass to remove the Melbourne-Sydney line running through the centre of Wodonga.
• $8 million for crossing loop extensions at Jamestown and Mingary between Crystal Brook, South Australia and Broken Hill, New South Wales at Yarrabandia and Matakana between Broken Hill and Parkes.
• Up to $5 million from for a major study of the North-South rail corridor between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The study will examine future freight demand, capacity and options for development of the North-South rail corridor. It will form part of the broader AusLink corridor study of transport links between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
• $4 million for new passing loops at Mungala and Haig on the Trans-Australian Railway.
• $3.5 million for the upgrade and strengthening of the Albury Murray River rail bridge.
• $2.6 million for the installation of an In-Cab Activated Points System to avoid the need for train crew to manually change switches (railroad switches).
• $2.5 million for the upgrading and strengthening of the Murray River Bridge at Murray Bridge, South Australia.

Criticism

The program has been criticised as being a pork barrelling exercise by the government.^[34][35][36]

See also

• One Nation (Infrastructure)
• National Highway (Australia)

References

1. "NATION BUILDING PROGRAM (NATIONAL LAND TRANSPORT) ACT 2009". Austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
2. "ComLaw Acts - AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005 (93)". Comlaw.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
3. "INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA ACT 2008 (NO. 17, 2008)". Austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
4. "NATION BUILDING AND JOBS PLAN (STATE INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY) ACT 2009". Austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
5. "NATION-BUILDING FUNDS ACT 2008". Austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
6. "Project Search Page". Nationbuildingprogram.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
7. "National Projects". Nationbuildingprogram.gov.au. 2013-03-06. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
8. "Hume Highway - Holbrook Bypass". Nationbuildingprogram.gov.au. 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
9. "Pacific Highway upgrade". Pacific Highway upgrade. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
10. dead link but available at wayback machine
11. 7th Jul 2010 2:15 AM (2010-07-07). "The Kempsey bypass moving ahead". Coffscoastadvocate.com.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
12. Pacific Highway – Sapphire to Woolgoolga duplication gets underway Archived 25 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
13. "AusLink Projects". Auslink.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
14. Ballina bypass
15. Initial works
16. Ballina bypass cost blows out to $640m Archived 20 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
17. "Abigroup News | Abigroup Limited - Constructing Australia's Future". Abigroup.com.au. 2009-12-22. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
18. $310 million Banora Point upgrade moves ahead Archived 22 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
19. Banora Point upgrade Archived 10 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
20. "Pacific Highway - Banora Point Upgrade". Nationbuildingprogram.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
21. $1.65 BILLION HUNTER EXPRESSWAY TO CREATE JOBS AND EASE TRAFFIC CONGESTION Archived 19 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
22. "The Hunter Expressway". Rta.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
23. "Road projects : VicRoads". Vicroads.vic.gov.au. 2009-12-31. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
24. "Empire Theatre". Toowoombarc.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
25. "Abbott commits to Toowoomba bypass". News.smh.com.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
26. "Great Western Highway". Rta.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
27. http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/south_western_region/barton_highway/future_duplication.html
28. Addressing Barton Highway safety - Local - General - Yass Tribune Archived 18 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
29. Money, money, money! Funds flow for Barton Highway - Local - General - Yass Tribune
30. Barton planning progress - Local - General - Yass Tribune
31. "RTA Barton Highway". Rta.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
32. http://www.yasstribune.com.au/story/415528/barton-funds-but-no-bypass/
33. "Nation Building Program". Auslink.gov.au. 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
34. Federal Government announces Auslink transport plan, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, PM, 7 June 2004.
35. CONFIRMED: ELECTION + AUSLINK = THE GREAT PORK BARREL which is a dead link but available at Wayback Machine, Minister for Roads and Ports, Victorian Government, Press Release, 22 May 2007.
36. Budget countdown: Auslink infrastructure planning fail, Bernard Keane, Crikey, 24 April 2009.

External links

• AusLink
• NSW Bilateral funding schedule (road)