NSW Gets Largest Share of National Infrastructure Pool

Infrastructure Australia released its annual list of projects on Tuesday, detailing $55 billion of projects that will shape Australia’s cities and regions in the next 15 years.

The independent government agency released a priority list to manage Australia’s population boom, with four projects of “national significance” located in NSW.

Infrastructure Australia's 2018 priority list recommends almost 100 projects already under way, in the planning stages or on the agenda.

Western Sydney Airport, Westconnex, the M4 motorway upgrade and the south-west Sydney Metro received the highest rating from Infrastructure Australia.

The Berejiklian government’s controversial plan to redevelop two Sydney stadiums was not included in the list.

Of the six priority projects, Sydney received four, with the Brisbane Metro and Melbourne’s Ring Road completing the list.

Thirty-three projects in NSW featured in the total document, compared with only 13 in Victoria. The news prompted Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to question the balance of projects of national significance.

"I do find it a little hard to take [Infrastructure Australia] particularly seriously when the fastest growing state in our nation is recommended to receive support for 13 projects and NSW is recommended to receive support for, I think, 33,” The Age reported Premier Andrews’ as saying.

Related reading: Property Stoush Over ‘$100m’ Proposed WestConnex Site Continues

$450m for Western Sydney’s Nepean Hospital

The NSW government announced on Monday that Nepean hospital will receive an additional $450 million towards stage two of its redevelopment.

The $450 million worth of funding comes on top of the $576 million for stage one currently under construction.

In recent years, doctors had warned that Nepean Hospital was at “crisis point.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the second stage would be built as the first stage was completed in 2023.

“This billion-dollar investment in Nepean Hospital will give the community and the medical staff the facilities needed to support the growing Western Sydney population,” Berejiklian said.

“It’s a win-win for all of us in the local area and comes on the back of 800 additional full time staff – including 119 more doctors and nearly 300 more nurses.

“Medical practitioners at Nepean have said there needs to be certainty that Stage two will follow on immediately from Stage one.”

One year out from the state election, the announcement marks a $4.9 billion milestone in bolstering Western Sydney’s hospitals.

The multi-billion-dollar investment into western Sydney’s health facilities either committed to or completed in recent years, includes Westmead and the children’s Hospital receiving more than $900 million, Blacktown and Mount Druitt hospitals with more than $700 million, Campbelltown Hospital $775 million, Liverpool Hospital $475 million, Rouse Hill Hospital $300 million, and the Ronald McDonald House, Westmead $10 million.