AusLink
Encyclopedia
AusLink was an Australian Government land transport funding program, established in June 2004 and administered by the Department of Transport and Regional Services. In 2009 it was replaced with the Nation Building Program under the Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Act 2009http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/nbplta2009476/index.html#s4. The Nation Building Program is administered by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport.

History

AusLink was first proposed in a Green Paper (see Green Paper
Green paper
In the Commonwealth, the Republic of Ireland and the United States a green paper is a tentative government report of a proposal without any commitment to action; the first step in changing the law...

), issued in November 2002. In response 550 submissions were lodged by State and Local Governments, Industry, Environment Groups, Tertiary Education and Research Groups, Bicycle Groups and interested members of the public. In May 2004 the Australian Government issued a White Paper (see White Paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...

), setting out the policy to be adopted by the Government in response.

The White Paper states that AusLink is based on better long-term planning, encouragement of the best ideas and solutions and targeting investment to achieve the best outcomes for people, the national economy, regions and communities and that it has the following core components:
  • a defined National Network (superseding the former National Highway system
    National Highway (Australia)
    thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...

    ) of important road and rail infrastructure links and their intermodal connections;
  • the National Land Transport Plan which outlines the Government's approach to improving and integrating the National Network and the investments it will make;
  • a single funding regime, under a new AusLink programme, for the National Network
  • separately earmarked funding for local and regional transport improvements;
  • new legislative, intergovernmental and institutional mechanisms.


AusLink was administered under the AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005, until the 2005 legislation was superseded by the Infrastructure Australia Act 2008http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/num_act/iaa2008293/, the Nation Building and Jobs Plan (State Infrastructure Delivery) Act 2009http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/nbajpida2009586/, the Nation-building Funds Act 2008http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/nfa2008217/ and the Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Act 2009http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/nbplta2009476/index.html#s4.

This new 2009 law affects Auslink because it includes in detail:
  • A "stimulus package";
  • Integrated transport modelling;
  • A nation building agenda and;
  • A framework dealing with the funding (such as funding grants for local Councils)

National Network

Australian Government land transport funding is focused on the National Network, which includes rail and road corridors, connecting at one or both ends to State Capital Cities:
  • Sydney
    Sydney
    Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

     - Melbourne
    Melbourne
    Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

    , road (Hume Highway
    Hume Highway
    The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...

    ) and rail
  • Sydney - Brisbane
    Brisbane
    Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

    , road (Pacific Highway
    Pacific Highway (Australia)
    The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...

     route and New England
    New England Highway
    The New England Highway is a highway in Australia running from Hexham near Newcastle at its southern end to Yarraman near Toowoomba at its northern end. At its southern end it connects to the Pacific Highway and at its northern end it connects to the D'Aguilar Highway. It traverses the Hunter...

     and Cunningham Highway
    Cunningham Highway
    The Cunningham Highway is a National Highway in Queensland, Australia. It is named after the explorer and botanist Allan Cunningham who followed a route close to where the modern day highway runs.-Route:...

    s route) and rail (North Coast railway line
    North Coast railway line, New South Wales
    The North Coast Line is the primary rail route in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales, and forms a major part of the Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor....

    )
  • Sydney - Adelaide
    Adelaide
    Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

    , road (Sturt Highway
    Sturt Highway
    The Sturt Highway is an Australian highway in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is part of the Auslink National network and is part of the main highway route between Sydney and Adelaide.-Route:...

    ) and rail (via Cootamundra
    Cootamundra, New South Wales
    Cootamundra is a town and Local Government Area in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. At the 2006 census, Cootamundra had a population of 5,566. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and...

    , Parkes
    Parkes, New South Wales
    - Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...

    , Broken Hill
    Broken Hill, New South Wales
    -Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...

     and Crystal Brook
    Crystal Brook, South Australia
    Crystal Brook is a town in South Australia, named after the spring-fed creek next to which it was founded. It is north of Adelaide and in 2006 had a population of 1,185.Crystal Brook is situated on Goyder's Line near the border of two climate systems...

    )
  • Melbourne - Adelaide, road (Western
    Western Highway, Victoria
    The Western Highway is part of the principal route linking the Australian cities of Melbourne and Adelaide with a length of approximately 314 kilometres. It is a part of the National Highway network and designated as National Highway A8...

     and Dukes Highway
    Dukes Highway
    The Dukes Highway is an important 189 kilometre highway corridor in South Australia which links the Australian cities of Adelaide and Melbourne. It is part of the National Highway system spanning Australia, and is signed as National Highway A8....

    s) and rail (via Geelong)
  • Melbourne - Brisbane, road (Goulburn Valley
    Goulburn Valley Highway
    The Goulburn Valley Highway / is a highway located in Victoria, Australia. The section north beyond the Hume Freeway is part of the Melbourne to Brisbane National Highway and is the main link between these two cities as well as a major link between Victoria and inland New South Wales...

    , Newell
    Newell Highway
    The Newell Highway is the longest highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs parallel to the eastern coast about 400 kilometres inland, and is the main inland direct road link from Victoria to Queensland, bypassing the more congested coastal areas of New South Wales...

    , Gore
    Gore Highway
    Gore Highway is a highway in Queensland running from Goondiwindi to Toowoomba. Together with Goulburn Valley Highway and Newell Highway, it is a part of the National Highway's Melbourne-Brisbane link. It is signed as ....

     and Warrego Highway
    Warrego Highway
    The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 750 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint of the highway...

    s)
  • Adelaide - Perth
    Perth, Western Australia
    Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

    , road (Princes
    Princes Highway
    The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....

    , Eyre
    Eyre Highway
    The Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highway 1/A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who was the first to...

    , Coolgardie-Esperance
    Coolgardie-Esperance Highway
    The Coolgardie–Esperance Highway is a 368 km Western Australian highway between Coolgardie and Esperance. It runs in a north-south direction linking the WA's Eastern Goldfields to the coast....

     and Great Eastern Highway
    Great Eastern Highway
    The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...

    s) and rail (Trans-Australian Railway
    Trans-Australian Railway
    The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia...

    )
  • Perth - Darwin
    Darwin, Northern Territory
    Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

    , road (Great Northern Highway
    Great Northern Highway
    The Great Northern Highway is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the state's capital Perth with its most northern port, Wyndham. It is in length, with being National Highway...

     and Victoria Highway
    Victoria Highway
    The Victoria Highway is a 524 kilometre highway linking the Great Northern Highway in Western Australia with the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory. It is a part of the Perth - Darwin National Highway link. It is signed as National Highway 1 and is also a part of the Highway 1 network. It is...

    s)
  • Adelaide - Darwin, road (Stuart Highway
    Stuart Highway
    The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...

    ) and rail (Port Augusta-Darwin)
  • Brisbane - Darwin
    Darwin, Northern Territory
    Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

    , road (Warrego
    Warrego Highway
    The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 750 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint of the highway...

    , Landsborough
    Landsborough Highway
    Landsborough Highway is a western Queensland highway running in the northwest-southeast direction from Morven to Cloncurry. The Landsborough Highway runs through vast tracts of land that was once occupied by William Landsborough, an Australian explorer of the 19th century...

     and Barkly Highway
    Barkly Highway
    The Barkly Highway is a national highway of both Queensland and the Northern Territory.-Description:It runs westward from Cloncurry and the junctions of the Flinders and Landsborough highways to the junction with the Stuart Highway north of Tennant Creek...

    s)
  • Brisbane - Cairns, road (Bruce Highway
    Bruce Highway
    The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...

    )
  • Brisbane - Townsville, rail
  • Townsville - Mount Isa, road (Flinders Highway
    Flinders Highway, Queensland
    Flinders Highway is a highway that crosses Queensland from east to west, from Townsville on the Pacific coast to Cloncurry . Flinders Highway and passes a number of small outback towns. Typical outback landscape predominates towards the inland...

    ) and rail
  • Melbourne - Sale
    Sale, Victoria
    Sale is a city in the Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. It is the seat of the Shire of Wellington as well as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sale and the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland. It has a population of around 13,336, and is expected to reach a population of 14,000 soon...

    , road (Princes Highway)
  • Perth - Bunbury
    Bunbury, Western Australia
    The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...

    , road (South Western Highway
    South Western Highway
    South Western Highway is a highway in the South West region of Western Australia connecting Perth's southeast with Walpole. It is a part of the National Highway 1 network for most of its length...

    )
  • Hobart
    Hobart
    Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...

     - Burnie
    Burnie, Tasmania
    - Sport :Australian rules football is popular in Burnie. The city's team is the Burnie Dockers Football Club in the Tasmanian State League.Rugby union is also played in Burnie. The local club is the Burnie Rugby Union Club. They are the current Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide Division Two Premiers...

    , including link to Bell Bay, Tasmania
    Bell Bay, Tasmania
    Bell Bay is an industrial centre and port located on the eastern shore of the Tamar River, in northern Tasmania, Australia. It lies just south of George Town.- Industry :It hosts an aluminium smelter and a power station.- Transport :...

    , road (Midland, Bass and East Tamar Highway
    East Tamar Highway
    The East Tamar Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It covers the eastern edge of the Tamar River, from Launceston to the lighthouse at Low Head.It is labelled as state route A8.-External links:*...

    ) and rail
  • Melbourne - Mildura, road (Calder Highway
    Calder Highway
    Calder Highway is a Highway linking Ravenswood South in Victoria, to Mildura. North of the Victoria/New South Wales border, the highway continues north to Broken Hill, Tibooburra and the New South Wales/Queensland border as the Silver City Highway, under the standard national route shield as far...

    ) and rail (via Geelong)
  • Sydney - Dubbo, road (Great Western
    Great Western Highway
    The Great Western Highway is a highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs 210 km from Sydney to Bathurst.Starting as Broadway at the intersection of City Road near the fringe of the Sydney CBD, and becoming Parramatta Road to Parramatta itself, the Great Western Highway heads due west from...

     and Mitchell Highway
    Mitchell Highway
    The Mitchell Highway is a major rural highway in Australia, travelling through central and northern New South Wales and south central Queensland. The highway starts from its northern end in Queensland with the Landsborough Highway near Augathella and continues south to Charleville and Cunnamulla...

    s) and rail (via Bathurst
    Bathurst, New South Wales
    -CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...

     and Parkes
  • Canberra
    Canberra
    Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

     connectors to the Hume Highway
    Hume Highway
    The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...

     (Federal
    Federal Highway
    Federal Highways and Federal Routes can be found in:*Australia, National Highway 23 a short highway in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory is called the Federal Highway ....

     and Barton Highway
    Barton Highway
    The Barton Highway is a short highway in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.The Barton Highway connects Canberra to the Hume Highway at Yass, and it is part of the route from Melbourne to Canberra....

    s), road only
  • Sydney - Wollongong, road (Southern Freeway
    Southern Freeway
    Southern Freeway is a freeway linking Sydney to Wollongong. It currently is designated as part of National Route 1, however was formerly signposted as F6 under a former route numbering system, and is commonly known by this latter name...

     and Princes Highway) and rail
  • Melbourne - Geelong, road (Princes Highway) and rail
  • some urban road and rail links in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, connecting the long distance links to each other and to ports and airports
  • Hunter Valley rail links (Dubbo to Merrygoen
    Merrygoen, New South Wales
    Merrygoen is a small township in north-western New South Wales, Australia. The town is a junction point between railway lines to Troy Junction on the Coonamble railway line, and the Gwabegar railway line. The railway station is now closed however wheat silos and several sidings remain in use....

    , Werris Creek
    Werris Creek, New South Wales
    Werris Creek is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, near Tamworth, in Liverpool Plains Shire. It is north of Quirindi and is at the junction of the Main North railway line to Armidale and Moree. At the 2006 census, Werris Creek had a population of 1,490.-History:The area is thought to...

     Muswellbrook
    Muswellbrook, New South Wales
    Muswellbrook, a corruption of 'Muscle Brook', is a town and Local Government Area in New South Wales, Australia. The original spelling and etymology of the town's name is a matter of some debate...

     and Port of Newcastle
    Newcastle, New South Wales
    The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...

     and Merrygoen to Muswellbrook via Ulan
    Ulan, New South Wales
    Ulan is a small village in eastern New South Wales, Australia. Ulan Post Office opened on 1 September 1893.There is a coal mine at Ulan. The Sandy Hollow - Ulan Railway was built to serve this coal mine...

    )


The White Paper announced funding of $12,708 million for road and rail projects in the first five years of AusLink, 2004-05 to 2008-09 (Australian financial years run from 1 July to 30 June). In the 2007-08 Federal Budget
Federal Budget (Australia)
The Australian Federal Budget is a document that demonstrates the Australian Government's planned financial performance, and the framework it intends to conduct its operations in the following financial year...

, it was announced $22,290 million would be spent on Auslink II from 2009-10 to 2013-14.

Road funding

Major projects underway or being planned (project search and Information on the funding projects in the states and territories)

Sydney - Melbourne (Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...

)
  • Hume Highway
    Hume Highway
    The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...

     or M5 Motorway
    M5 South Western Motorway
    The M5 South Western Motorway is a privately operated tolled motorway in south-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 5 and the Sydney Orbital Network...

     - Brooks Road to Raby Road, widening from 2 lanes to 4 lanes in each direction and from Raby Road to Narellan Road from 2 lanes to 3 lanes in each direction ($138m: 20% funded by NSW) - Widening commenced in 2009 and is expected to be completed by late 2011
  • Holbrook
    Holbrook, New South Wales
    Holbrook is a small town in Southern New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Hume Highway, 356 km North-East of Melbourne and 491 km south-west of Sydney between Tarcutta and Albury. The town is in the Greater Hume Shire Council area which was established in May 2004 from the merger of...

     bypass ($320m: $110m contribution by NSW) - Construction to begin early 2011 with completion early 2013.
  • Tarcutta
    Tarcutta, New South Wales
    Tarcutta is a small town located 438 km south-west of Sydney, three kilometres east of the Hume Highway, in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed as a village on 28 October 1890...

     bypass ($238m) - Construction began early 2010 with scheduled completion late 2011.
  • Woomargama
    Woomargama, New South Wales
    Woomargama is a picturesque village community in the south east part of the Riverina, in the foothills of the great dividing range. It is situated by road, about north-east from Mullengandra and south-west from Holbrook...

     bypass ($265m) - Construction began early 2010 with scheduled completion late 2011.

Sydney - Brisbane Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...

 route
  • Bulahdelah bypass ($315m: $11m contribution by NSW) - Construction recommenced in 2010 following a delay in construction following what was found to be an incorrect claim that the roadway would damage a rare Orchard plantation, with completion expected by mid-2012.
  • Kempsey
    Kempsey, New South Wales
    Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located 15 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line cross the Macleay River...

     bypass ($618m) - Construction began in 2010 with completion by mid 2014.
  • Sapphire to Woolgoolga
    Woolgoolga, New South Wales
    Woolgoolga is a town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Pacific Highway, approximately 550 km north of Sydney and 400 km south of Brisbane. The closest city to Woolgoolga is Coffs Harbour, which lies 25.8 km to the south. Woolgoolga has two beaches on...

     upgrade ($700m: $88m contribution by NSW) - 25 km upgrade north of Coffs Harbour
    Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
    -History:By the early 1900s, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast Railway Line, the only way to transport large items of heavy but low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. This meant sawmillers on the North Coast...

    , construction commenced in 2010 with completion in 2014.
  • Glenugie upgrade ($60m: $6m contribution by NSW) - 7 km upgrade south of Grafton
    Grafton, New South Wales
    The city of Grafton is the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valley. Established in 1851, Grafton features many historic buildings and tree-lined streets. Located approximately 630 kilometres north of Sydney and 340 km south of Brisbane, Grafton and the Clarence Valley can be reached...

    . Construction commenced in 2009 with completion in 2011.
  • Ballina
    Ballina, New South Wales
    Ballina is a town on the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of the Ballina Shire Local Government Area. It had a population of 16,477 in the 2006 Census.-Location:...

     bypass ($640m: $114 contribution by NSW) - Construction commenced in 2008, with completion expected by mid-2012.
  • Banora Point upgrade ($360m: $60m contribution by NSW) - Construction commenced in 2009, with completion expected by mid-2012.

Sydney - Brisbane (New England
New England Highway
The New England Highway is a highway in Australia running from Hexham near Newcastle at its southern end to Yarraman near Toowoomba at its northern end. At its southern end it connects to the Pacific Highway and at its northern end it connects to the D'Aguilar Highway. It traverses the Hunter...

 and Cunningham Highway
Cunningham Highway
The Cunningham Highway is a National Highway in Queensland, Australia. It is named after the explorer and botanist Allan Cunningham who followed a route close to where the modern day highway runs.-Route:...

s route)
  • Hunter Expressway ($1.7bn: $200m contribution by NSW). Construction commenced in 2010, with the project expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

Sydney - Adelaide (Sturt Highway
Sturt Highway
The Sturt Highway is an Australian highway in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is part of the Auslink National network and is part of the main highway route between Sydney and Adelaide.-Route:...

)

Melbourne - Adelaide (Western
Western Highway, Victoria
The Western Highway is part of the principal route linking the Australian cities of Melbourne and Adelaide with a length of approximately 314 kilometres. It is a part of the National Highway network and designated as National Highway A8...

 and Dukes Highway
Dukes Highway
The Dukes Highway is an important 189 kilometre highway corridor in South Australia which links the Australian cities of Adelaide and Melbourne. It is part of the National Highway system spanning Australia, and is signed as National Highway A8....

s)
  • Melton to Bacchus Marsh Freeway ($450m). Construction commenced in 2010 with the project expected to be completed by early-2012

Melbourne - Brisbane (Goulburn Valley
Goulburn Valley Highway
The Goulburn Valley Highway / is a highway located in Victoria, Australia. The section north beyond the Hume Freeway is part of the Melbourne to Brisbane National Highway and is the main link between these two cities as well as a major link between Victoria and inland New South Wales...

, Newell
Newell Highway
The Newell Highway is the longest highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs parallel to the eastern coast about 400 kilometres inland, and is the main inland direct road link from Victoria to Queensland, bypassing the more congested coastal areas of New South Wales...

, Gore
Gore Highway
Gore Highway is a highway in Queensland running from Goondiwindi to Toowoomba. Together with Goulburn Valley Highway and Newell Highway, it is a part of the National Highway's Melbourne-Brisbane link. It is signed as ....

 and Warrego Highway
Warrego Highway
The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 750 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint of the highway...

s)

Adelaide - Perth (Princes
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....

, Eyre
Eyre Highway
The Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highway 1/A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who was the first to...

, Coolgardie-Esperance
Coolgardie-Esperance Highway
The Coolgardie–Esperance Highway is a 368 km Western Australian highway between Coolgardie and Esperance. It runs in a north-south direction linking the WA's Eastern Goldfields to the coast....

 and Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...

s)

Perth - Darwin (Great Northern Highway
Great Northern Highway
The Great Northern Highway is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the state's capital Perth with its most northern port, Wyndham. It is in length, with being National Highway...

 and Victoria Highway
Victoria Highway
The Victoria Highway is a 524 kilometre highway linking the Great Northern Highway in Western Australia with the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory. It is a part of the Perth - Darwin National Highway link. It is signed as National Highway 1 and is also a part of the Highway 1 network. It is...

s)

Adelaide - Darwin (Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway
The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...

)

Brisbane - Darwin (Warrego
Warrego Highway
The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 750 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint of the highway...

, Landsborough
Landsborough Highway
Landsborough Highway is a western Queensland highway running in the northwest-southeast direction from Morven to Cloncurry. The Landsborough Highway runs through vast tracts of land that was once occupied by William Landsborough, an Australian explorer of the 19th century...

 and Barkly Highway
Barkly Highway
The Barkly Highway is a national highway of both Queensland and the Northern Territory.-Description:It runs westward from Cloncurry and the junctions of the Flinders and Landsborough highways to the junction with the Stuart Highway north of Tennant Creek...

s)
  • Toowoomba
    Toowoomba, Queensland
    Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...

     bypass ($43m) - Planning commenced in 2008.

Brisbane - Cairns (Bruce Highway
Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...

)

Townsville - Mount Isa (Flinders Highway
Flinders Highway, Queensland
Flinders Highway is a highway that crosses Queensland from east to west, from Townsville on the Pacific coast to Cloncurry . Flinders Highway and passes a number of small outback towns. Typical outback landscape predominates towards the inland...

)

Melbourne - Sale (Princes Highway)
  • Duplication between Traralgon
    Traralgon, Victoria
    Traralgon is a regional city located in the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Traralgon is a city within the City of Latrobe....

     to Sale ($450m: joint funding) - Planning commenced in 2006.

Perth - Bunbury (South Western Highway
South Western Highway
South Western Highway is a highway in the South West region of Western Australia connecting Perth's southeast with Walpole. It is a part of the National Highway 1 network for most of its length...

)

Hobart - Burnie, including link to Bell Bay (Midland and the East Tamar Highway
East Tamar Highway
The East Tamar Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It covers the eastern edge of the Tamar River, from Launceston to the lighthouse at Low Head.It is labelled as state route A8.-External links:*...

)
  • Brighton Bypass
    Brighton Bypass
    The Brighton Bypass is a A$164 million bypass currently under construction on the Midland Highway between Bridgewater and Pontville, just north of Hobart in southern Tasmania. Construction of the 9.5 km federally funded Dual carriageway started in April 2009, and is expected to be completed in...

     (funding not yet finalised) The bypassing of several small towns north of Hobart on the Midland Highway

Melbourne - Mildura (Calder Highway
Calder Highway
Calder Highway is a Highway linking Ravenswood South in Victoria, to Mildura. North of the Victoria/New South Wales border, the highway continues north to Broken Hill, Tibooburra and the New South Wales/Queensland border as the Silver City Highway, under the standard national route shield as far...

)

Sydney - Dubbo (Great Western
Great Western Highway
The Great Western Highway is a highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs 210 km from Sydney to Bathurst.Starting as Broadway at the intersection of City Road near the fringe of the Sydney CBD, and becoming Parramatta Road to Parramatta itself, the Great Western Highway heads due west from...

 and Mitchell Highway
Mitchell Highway
The Mitchell Highway is a major rural highway in Australia, travelling through central and northern New South Wales and south central Queensland. The highway starts from its northern end in Queensland with the Landsborough Highway near Augathella and continues south to Charleville and Cunnamulla...

s)
  • Woodford
    Woodford, New South Wales
    Woodford is a village in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, approximately 90 kilometres west of Sydney. Its elevation is above sea level. It is situated on the Great Western Highway and has a railway station on the Main Western railway line served by CityRail's Blue Mountains...

     to Wentworth Falls
    Wentworth Falls, New South Wales
    Wentworth Falls is a town in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales located 100 kilometres west of Sydney, and about 8 kilometres east of Katoomba, Australia on the Great Western Highway, with a Wentworth Falls railway station on the Main Western line. The town is situated at an elevation of...

     (to provide four-lane conditions from Katoomba to Sydney).

Canberra connectors (From the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...

 to the Federal
Federal Highway (Australia)
The Federal Highway is a short highway in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. It is a part of the Sydney-Canberra National Highway link....

 or the Barton Highway
Barton Highway
The Barton Highway is a short highway in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.The Barton Highway connects Canberra to the Hume Highway at Yass, and it is part of the route from Melbourne to Canberra....

)
  • Planning for duplication of the Barton Highway
    Barton Highway
    The Barton Highway is a short highway in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.The Barton Highway connects Canberra to the Hume Highway at Yass, and it is part of the route from Melbourne to Canberra....

     and the Murrumbateman
    Murrumbateman, New South Wales
    Murrumbateman is a small village in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Barton Highway, approximately 30 kilometres north-west of Canberra, and is part of the Yass Valley Shire. At the 2006 census, Murrumbateman had a population of 1,758 people.Some of the...

     Bypass ($20m)

Sydney - Wollongong (Southern Freeway
Southern Freeway
Southern Freeway is a freeway linking Sydney to Wollongong. It currently is designated as part of National Route 1, however was formerly signposted as F6 under a former route numbering system, and is commonly known by this latter name...

 and Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....

)

Melbourne - Geelong (Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....

)

Rail funding

Rail funding has been announced for the following projects (Auslink project search):
  • $550 million from AusLink and additional Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...

     funds for an upgrade the 684 km of AusLink Network track and signalling along the North-South rail corridor from Maitland to Brisbane
    Brisbane
    Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

     to reduce transit times substantially and to permit more trains to operate safely on the largely single track line.
  • $192 million through the Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...

     for a new access route for freight trains through the south-western Sydney
    Sydney
    Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

     metropolitan area from Macarthur to Chullora
    Chullora, New South Wales
    Chullora, a suburb of local government areas City of Bankstown and the Municipality of Strathfield, is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and forms a part of the Greater Western Sydney region.-History:The suburb of...

    , the Southern Sydney Freight Line
    Southern Sydney Freight Line
    The Southern Sydney Freight Line is a railway line under construction in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. At present, a curfew for non-passenger trains operates in the suburban area during peak hours, restricting the movement of freight to off-peak periods...

     project.
  • $110 million on the Rail Corporation New South Wales
    Rail Corporation New South Wales
    Rail Corporation New South Wales is a statutory authority of the New South Wales government. RailCorp owns, operates and maintains the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network which is marketed under the CityRail brand; in addition to operating rural passenger services under the CountryLink...

     metropolitan track system towards improving rail access for freight trains between Strathfield and Hornsby. Some of these funds will be available during the later part of the current five-year AusLink investment programme, for the development of the Port Botany rail link.
  • $110 million to the Government of Victoria
    Government of Victoria
    The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...

     for a new rail link and grade separation from Footscray Road between the Dynon
    West Melbourne, Victoria
    West Melbourne is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...

     intermodal freight precinct and the Port of Melbourne
    Port of Melbourne
    The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...

    .
  • $45 million to convert the broad gauge line between Geelong and Mildura and between Melbourne
    Melbourne
    Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

     and Albury
    Albury, New South Wales
    Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...

     to standard gauge.
  • $42 million to the Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...

     to extend the Code Division Multiple Access
    Code division multiple access
    Code division multiple access is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. It should not be confused with the mobile phone standards called cdmaOne, CDMA2000 and WCDMA , which are often referred to as simply CDMA, and use CDMA as an underlying channel access...

     mobile phone system to cover the interstate rail network. This will achieve a single national media for voice and data communications for the non-metropolitan interstate rail system. This is being provided through Telstra
    Telstra
    Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....

     and will later need to be converted to 3GSM when Telstra replaces its CDMA network with 3GSM.
  • $40 million to the Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...

     towards the cost of the line upgrading and signalling system between Tottenham
    Tottenham, Victoria
    Tottenham is a suburb west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong.Tottenham is mostly an industrial suburb, with the Olex Cable manufacturing facility one of the many industrial businesses located in Tottenham....

     and West Footscray
    Footscray, Victoria
    Footscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....

    .
  • $20.3 million to the Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation
    Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...

     to develop Australia's next generation of train control technology, including the capacity for computerised on-board signalling to replace the current track-side system, satellite-based location technology to track trains to within 3 metres, and a computerised warning system that alerts drivers to impending dangers.
  • $20 million towards a Wodonga
    Wodonga, Victoria
    Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...

     rail bypass to remove the Melbourne-Sydney line running through the centre of Wodonga.
  • $8 million for crossing loop extensions at Jamestown
    Jamestown, South Australia
    Jamestown is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia north of Adelaide. It is on the banks of the Belalie Creek and on the railway line between Gladstone and Peterborough, and ultimately on the main line linking Adelaide and Perth to Sydney...

     and Mingary between Crystal Brook, South Australia
    Crystal Brook, South Australia
    Crystal Brook is a town in South Australia, named after the spring-fed creek next to which it was founded. It is north of Adelaide and in 2006 had a population of 1,185.Crystal Brook is situated on Goyder's Line near the border of two climate systems...

     and Broken Hill, New South Wales
    Broken Hill, New South Wales
    -Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...

     at Yarrabandia and Matakana between Broken Hill and Parkes
    Parkes, New South Wales
    - Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...

    .
  • Up to $5 million from for a major study of the North-South rail corridor between Melbourne
    Melbourne
    Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

    , Sydney
    Sydney
    Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

     and Brisbane
    Brisbane
    Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

    . The study will examine future freight demand, capacity and options for development of the North-South rail corridor. It will form part of the broader AusLink corridor study of transport links between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
  • $4 million for new passing loops at Mungala and Haig on the Trans-Australian Railway
    Trans-Australian Railway
    The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia...

    .
  • $3.5 million for the upgrade and strengthening of the Albury
    Albury, New South Wales
    Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...

     Murray River
    Murray River
    The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...

     rail bridge.
  • $2.6 million for the installation of an In-Cab Activated Points System to avoid the need for train crew to manually change switches (railroad switch
    Railroad switch
    A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....

    es).
  • $2.5 million for the upgrading and strengthening of the Murray River
    Murray River
    The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...

     Bridge at Murray Bridge, South Australia
    Murray Bridge, South Australia
    Murray Bridge is the fourth most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Whyalla. It is located east-southeast of Adelaide and north of Meningie....

    .

Criticism

With the large budgets allocated to transport projects, AusLink is promoted in highlighting government spending on infrastructure.

However organisations such as the Australian Automobile Association
Australian Automobile Association
The Australian Automobile Association was established in 1924; it supports and coordinates the activities of its constituent motoring clubs, and aims to represent the interests of Australian motorists both nationally and internationally....

 are outspoken in their criticism that the spending equates to less than 15% of the excise the federal government collects on petrol, is spent on road related projects.

There was also criticism of the program from some quarters claiming that it was nothing more than a pork barrelling exercise by the government.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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