Mrs SALLY QUINNELL (Camden) (11:46): My question is addressed to the Minister for Transport, in her capacity representing the Minister for Roads. Will the Minister update the House on how the Government has fulfilled its election promise through the toll cap?
Ms JO HAYLEN (Summer Hill—Minister for Transport) (11:46): I thank the member for Camden for her question.
The SPEAKER: I call the member for Hornsby to order for the first time.
Ms JO HAYLEN: She represents thousands of people who have no choice but to drive on toll roads every day. Because of those opposite, our Government has a lot of work to do to assist families like the ones that she represents. Why? Because under the Liberals, Sydney became the most tolled city in the world. The Liberals set up a privately owned toll road monopoly where over one million trips a day are tolled. Thousands of households and businesses across Sydney are paying whopping tolls. In fact, $2 billion a year is paid in tolls. The Liberals' privatised toll roads hit Western Sydney families and businesses the hardest. In fact, 17 out of 20 of the worst tolled postcodes are between the north-west of Sydney and the south-west of Sydney. The Liberals' toll mania hurt those in Sydney who can least afford it.
Towards the end of the term of the last government, the unfairness got so bad that those opposite were forced to extend toll relief from their own toll mania. The former Government commissioned some work on toll reform. They did a bit of work, but they sat on the report, headed out the door and left the mess to us. We have inherited a patchwork of toll roads. They are underutilised and riddled with inefficiency. It is an economic cost to our State. It increases the cost of living and limits our potential to be a great global city. Toll mania is the shocking legacy of 12 years of the Liberals' pump-and-dump big road infrastructure obsession. The people have had enough.
Members on this side of the House are very proud that toll relief is the largest cost-of-living measure in our budget. We are delivering immediate support for Sydney residents to assist with their household budgets. Yesterday we announced that almost three-quarters of a million motorists will qualify for toll relief under our Government through the $60 cap beginning on 1 January. We have allocated $561 million over two years to the toll cap. That will benefit three-quarters of a million toll account owners, with motorists able to claim any spend above $60 a week with a quarterly refund from Service NSW. Some 4,893 of those households will be in Camden. On average, they will be able to claim back $294 next year.
Mrs Sally Quinnell: I seek an extension of time to hear more about how this will benefit my community.
The SPEAKER: I grant the Minister an additional two minutes.
Ms JO HAYLEN: This makes the member for Camden one of the best members for Camden ever; she is delivering for her community after six months in government. Our toll cap will help motorists across Western Sydney. For example, a motorist in Silverwater, in Auburn, will be able to claim back $475 from next year; in Glendenning, in Blacktown, a toll account owner will be able to claim back on average $540 next year; in Rose Hill, in Parramatta, they will be able to claim back $504 next year; in Quakers Hill, in Riverstone, $446; in Holsworthy, $286; in Winston Hills, $468; in Epping, $422; and in Gosford, $199. Those are important toll relief measures for families across Sydney.
Toll mania also hurts local communities because it causes rat-running in parts of Sydney like Stoney Creek Road and Forest Road, and trucks take the local roads instead of the toll roads. Thanks to our changes in yesterday's budget, trucks will pay two times the toll on the M5 East and the M8 instead of three times the toll. That will see our trucks using toll roads instead of local roads. We are supporting our trucking industry, reducing the cost of goods and services and, most importantly, reducing traffic on local roads. That is great news for local communities who have had a gutful of their roads becoming truck highways. Along with those changes, our $60 toll cap is great news for families. We are repairing our budget to provide more essential services and help families with cost-of-living relief.
