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AusLink was administered under the AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005,[2] until the 2005 legislation was superseded by the Infrastructure Australia Act 2008,[3] the Nation Building and Jobs Plan (State Infrastructure Delivery) Act 2009,[4] the Nation-building Funds Act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

Brisbane to Sydney

Melbourne to Adelaide

Brisbane to Darwin

Dubbo to Sydney

Canberra connectors

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 was criticised as being a pork barrelling exercise.[34][35][36]

See also

References
  1. "NATION BUILDING PROGRAM (NATIONAL LAND TRANSPORT) ACT 2009". Austlii.edu.au. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  2. "ComLaw Acts - AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005 (93)". Comlaw.gov.au. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  3. "INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA ACT 2008 (NO. 17, 2008)". Austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  4. "NATION BUILDING AND JOBS PLAN (STATE INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY) ACT 2009". Austlii.edu.au. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  5. "NATION-BUILDING FUNDS ACT 2008". Austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  6. "Project Search Page". Nationbuildingprogram.gov.au. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  7. "National Projects". Nationbuildingprogram.gov.au. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  8. "Hume Highway - Holbrook Bypass". Nationbuildingprogram.gov.au. 16 May 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  9. "Pacific Highway upgrade". Pacific Highway upgrade. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  10. dead link but available at wayback machine
  11. "The Kempsey bypass moving ahead". Coffscoastadvocate.com.au. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  12. Pacific Highway – Sapphire to Woolgoolga duplication gets underway Archived 25 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  13. "AusLink Projects". Auslink.gov.au. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  14. Ballina bypass Archived 17 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Initial works Archived 7 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  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. 22 December 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  18. $310 million Banora Point upgrade moves ahead Archived 22 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  19. Banora Point upgrade
  20. "Pacific Highway - Banora Point Upgrade". Nationbuildingprogram.gov.au. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  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. Archived from the original on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  23. "Road projects : VicRoads". Vicroads.vic.gov.au. 31 December 2009. Archived from the original on 13 July 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  24. "Empire Theatre". Toowoombarc.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  25. "Abbott commits to Toowoomba bypass". News.smh.com.au. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  26. "Great Western Highway". Rta.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 April 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  27. "Projects". Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  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. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  32. "Barton funds but no bypass". 24 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  33. "Nation Building Program". Auslink.gov.au. 15 May 2013. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  34. "Federal Government announces Auslink transport plan". PM. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 June 2004. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016.
  35. Pallas, Tim (22 May 2007). "CONFIRMED: ELECTION + AUSLINK = THE GREAT PORK BARREL" (Press release). Victorian Government. Archived from the original on 4 April 2011.
  36. Keane, Bernard (24 April 2009). "Budget countdown: Auslink infrastructure planning fail". Crikey. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
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