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Macarthur motorists face paying thousands of dollars a year in tolls for the next 40 years if the M5 South West motorway is privatised. WestConnex Minister Stuart Ayres told a budget estimates hearing on Wednesday that extending the toll period on the motorway beyond 2026 – the year the toll is scheduled to cease – would be the subject of sale negotiations. The government will consider selling the rights to toll the motorway as part of the sale of 51 per cent of the Sydney Motorway Corporation, the government-controlled body delivering WestConnex. Campbelltown MP Greg Warren (Labor) said Minister Ayres conceded that motorists living in Macarthur would not see any improvements to the road. Under the condition of the proposed sale, the new owner could toll the road until 2060. Mr Warren was “outraged” at the plan and said he would strongly fight against the proposal. “Why should the people of Macarthur pay for the government’s incompetencies in executing, timing and controlling the cost of road projects,” he said. “The fact is this road has already been paid for and is scheduled to cease in 2026. “Why should hardworking and frustrated road users have to pay more than they have while getting nothing in return? “Macarthur residents will not want to cop this and neither do I.” A motorist from south west Sydney using the M5 to commute to and from work would pay $9.20 a day in tolls, which equates to $2,162 annually – before accounting for annual increases. Macquarie Fields MP Anoulack Chanthivong described the plan as “yet another greedy cash grab”. “For struggling workers and families, the extension of the M5 toll will be an absolute disaster,” he said. “Household budgets are already stretched to the max. “I will fight tooth and nail to stop the extension of the toll and I will not stand by and let motorists from our region get whacked with unfair tolls. “The M5 is already a carpark and people are doing it tough, yet this government is set to rob our pockets yet again.” Minister Ayres said the government had no plans to remove cashback on the M5 West. “When the $4.3 billion duplicate M5 East tunnel opens in 2020 it will slash average peak travel times from Liverpool to South Sydney by up to half an hour,” he said. “The new M5 tunnels will increase capacity from four lanes to eight lanes - with capacity for ten lanes.” NSW Opposition leader Luke Foley said Premier Gladys Berejiklian had “her hand in motorists’ pockets”. “The M5 was due to be paid off by 2026 but now as part of a privatisation scam this government is extending it to the 2060s,” he said. “This is just an exercise in fattening WestConnex for market day.” Wollondilly MP Jai Rowell could not be contacted for comment. Camden MP Chris Patterson was seeking more information and did not respond to the Advertiser’s request for further comment.

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