Western Sydneysiders will have to wait four years before they get to drive on a new $2 billion toll-free motorway.
The NSW and federal governments are hailing the project as a sign of cooperation as infrastructure ministers across the country look to coordinate resources.
Canberra and Sydney are jointly funding the M12 motorway, designed to serve as the major access route to Western Sydney International Airport along with a rail link.
The 16-kilometre motorway between the M7 motorway and Luddenham is expected to open in 2026, before the airport is operational in December.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said there would always be debates between governments on who should pick up the tab for big-ticket construction projects.
She said it was in the country’s best interests to work together as the economy emerged from the economic shock of COVID-19.
“Construction really has been the hero of the pandemic,” Ms King said on Friday.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the M12 would shrink commute times and make western Sydney the “engine room” of the national economy.
He said the motorway and rail were on track to be ready when the airport opened, but warned current labour and materials shortages was putting pressure on infrastructure projects.
“But that does not stop our resolve in terms of building the infrastructure that’s going to transform our city and state,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Much better to be in this position than not building anything at all.”
Mr Perrottet suggested state governments would work together on issues, like the competition for tunnelling crews, to ease materials and labour shortage pressures.
Ms King said infrastructure ministers had been discussing ways to avoid “cannibalising” each other’s projects.
“I’m very keen that we nationally have a pipeline across the nation for the next five to 10 years that actually complement each other, “she said.
The federal government has chipped in $1.6 billion to the M12 on top of the split cost of the $11 billion rail link to the airport.
A recent review recommended the NSW government delay large infrastructure projects, with labour and material shortages risking massive cost blowouts.
