By the year 2060, NSW motorists will have paid more than $123 billion in tolls because of contracts signed by the previous Liberal Government.
This is a direct result of the previous Liberal Government’s obsession with privatisation that caused Sydney to become the most tolled city on Earth.
The former Government sold off our roads to private companies and locked us all into yearly toll increases until 2060.
On top of this, they tried to keep the details of these contracts secret to avoid revealing the full cost of what they forced drivers to sign up to.
That is why, to fulfil my election commitment, I am for the first time ever revealing to drivers what the real toll burden will be until the existing contracts expire.
The people of Kogarah deserve to know what they have signed up to under privatised contracts and especially when we are talking about decade long bills that impact families every day.
To make matters worse the $123 billion in tolls that we are due to pay could fund 94 hospitals or 1,537 schools.
The former Liberal Government sold off our M5 East, a road that used to be free and was fully paid for by the taxpayer, a decision which pushed thousands of trucks and cars onto our local streets.
As of today, the M5 East has been paid off 17 times over with all the revenue going into the pockets of the private operator.
As your local Member of Parliament, I understand the impact that tolls are having on local household budgets. That is why I have committed to capping tolls at $60 a week.
This toll cap will benefit around 7,740 families across Kogarah with motorists able to claim back any money spent above $60 a week.
Starting on the first of January 2024, the toll cap will help ease cost-of-living pressures for many families in our local community.
My Government is also undertaking a comprehensive review of tolling arrangements in Sydney with the aim of making toll prices fairer, simpler and more efficient.
Yours sincerely,
The Hon. Chris Minns MP
Premier of New South Wales
Member for Kogarah
