The federal government has committed an extra $27 million towards infrastructure projects in the ACT, as the Commonwealth axes funding for 50 road and rail projects across the country.
As previously reported in The Canberra Times, the majority of this additional spend ($25 million) will go towards the Molongo River bridge crossing. Gundaroo Drive duplication and Beltana Road improvements will receive an extra $1.8 million and $300,000 respectively.
The announcement follows an independent review, published by Infrastructure Minister Catherine King on Thursday, which found the Commonwealth's $120 billion infrastructure 10-year pipeline - which she says it inherited from the Coalition - was facing a $32.8 billion cost blowout.
The scathing review found the number of projects in the pipeline had tripled between 2015 and 2022. She said the projects couldn't be delivered with the $120 billion allocated even with state and territory contributions.
The federal government announced that commonwealth funding will be cut for 50 projects across the country, which Ms King said she believed would representing around $7 billion in savings.
In a statement, the minister's office said this included projects that couldn't be delivered with the allocated funding, had made little to no progress, and did not align with government priorities.
In the ACT, the inner Canberra corridor planning package, valued at $1.5 million, was the only project to face the chopping block. Budget papers dd not contain details on what this project involved.
Ms King had stressed previously that smaller jurisdictions, like the ACT, would have special consideration on the infrastructure overhaul, which The Canberra Times understands is reflected in the territory's $27 million infrastructure boost.
The additional $25 million for the Molongolo bridge - which will service the growing region and supersede the low-lying Coppins Crossing - takes the project's total to $197.7 million.
The minister said 31 projects across the country that were recommended for cancellation or descoping will be rolled into road and rail corridors. Another 11 projects will retain their commonwealth funding allocation for now, but will be put through a planning and detailed costing process.
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