Media Releases
Thursday, 7th January 2016
REPORTER: When you were Infrastructure Minister you did say you committed some funds. If you were sitting there when you made that decision and you had all the information that we have now about what WestConnex looks like, would you have committed those funds?
ALBANESE: Well, what we did was we committed $25 million for proper planning to make sure that they got it right in terms of Sydney's road network. Now that proper planning was about getting goods to the port, primarily - was the number one problem that was identified by Infrastructure NSW as requiring action.
Now at the moment, as it stands, WestConnex won't actually go to the port. So there's a real concern here that these advance payments have been made. It's something that we would not have done.
They need to do proper processes when it comes to infrastructure. You do your planning first, you get your design, you get your cost benefit analysis and you do it in a transparent way.
What's happened with WestConnex is that money has been paid in advance without the proper planning, without the proper business case being published in a transparent way and that's why I think people are very concerned about the cost blowout of $6.8 billion of additional money for a project that was already originally due to cost $10 billion.
Electorate Office
334a Marrickville Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204
Phone: 02 9564 3588
Parliament House Office
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Phone: 02 6277 7700
Electorate Office
334a Marrickville Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204
Phone: 02 9564 3588
Parliament House Office
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Phone: 02 6277 7700
Phone: (02) 9564 3588
Fax: (02) 9564 1734
Email: A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our offices stand and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Authorised by Anthony Albanese. 334a Marrickville Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204.