Infrastructure


Asset Investment Program
The 2022-23 Budget includes a record $33.9 billion Asset Investment Program over the next four years, with projects across the State.

Road, rail and transport infrastructure spending totals $14.3 billion over the four years to 2025-26, including $6 billion committed to METRONET projects and $7.1 billion on metropolitan and regional road projects to address congestion and improve transport linkages and road safety.

Transport Infrastructure

Suburban Rail
METRONET project investment is forecast to be $6 billion over four years.  This reflects a ramping up to construction phase for key projects in this program including the Morley-Ellenbrook rail line, Thornlie-Cockburn Link, Yanchep rail line extension and Bayswater Station.

Regional Rail
The $200 million Agricultural Supply Chain Improvement Program first announced in 2021-22 is funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments.  This Budget includes $46 million for seven additional grain rail siding upgrades at Avon, Kellerberrin, Dowerin, Konnongorring, Ballidu, Mingenew and Perenjori North, in addition to the four siding extensions that are currently underway. 

$60 million has been provided to upgrade the Midland main rail line between Carnamah and Mingenew to 19 tonne axle loading.  Progressive recommissioning of the Narrogin-Kulin rail line has been allocated $72 million.
  
State Roads
A total of $9 billion is forecast to be expended on major roads projects over the coming four years.  The majority of the new investment is in regional WA and primarily funded by the Commonwealth Government.
The Budget shows continuing funding for road projects in the metropolitan area including Tonkin Highway upgrade projects, Mitchell Freeway Extension (Hester Avenue to Romeo Road) and Mitchell Freeway widening southbound from Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue.

The Bunbury Outer Ring Road received an additional $400 million bringing the project to a total of $1.25 billion. $6.1 million has been allocated to the continuing Albany Ring Road project.  Other on-going projects include the Bussell Highway duplication ($85 million), Great Eastern Highway upgrades ($250 million), Marble Bar Road ($120 million) and Great Northern Highway overtaking lanes ($50 million).

Pinjarra heavy haulage deviation that will allow heavy vehicles to by-pass the town centre has been allocated $250 million.
The Regional Run Off Road Crash program, has been allocated a further $175 million in 2023/24 taking the total investment to $352.5 million over two years.

The resealing program on regional highways has been provided $200 million and $146 million for a range of projects under the Safer Roads and Bridges program. 
 
Local Government Roads
Motor Vehicle Licence Fees will be increased 3.8% in 2022/23.  Coupled with a forecast increase in the number of vehicles registered this results in a 4.4% budget increase in revenue to $1.17 billion.  Increases in revenue of around 5% per annum are forecast in later years.  Budget funding for the State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement is $233.8 million and remains at 20% of forecast motor vehicle licence fee revenue in 2022/23 and the out years of the budget.

Significant investments over four years involving Local Government roads made outside of the State Road Funds to Local Government Agreement include:
  • Tanami Road (seal) $500 million
  • Moorine Road to Mount Holland Road (for Covalent Lithium mine) $120 million 
  • Nicholson Rd – Garden St Grade Separation $80 million
  • Secondary Freight Network (Midwest and Great Southern) $36 million
  • Chidlow York and Forrest St intersection (York) $10 million
There is also continuing investment in the Outback Way and Stephenson Avenue extension that was committed in earlier budgets. The $150 million Commonwealth, State and Local Government funded Perth City Deal involves significant investment in transport infrastructure across the City.
 
Electricity Distribution
The Western Power budget provides $30.9 million over four years for proactive replacement of existing streetlights with “smart-enabled” LED streetlights.  Although the Budget does not provide detail, this is likely to reflect advanced negotiations with a group of metropolitan Local Governments to largely fund a streetlight replacement program.  The budget 2022/23 budget indicates 4,427 lights will be replaced for $2.445 million in the first year.

The budget provides $50.8 m in 2022/23 to complete Network Renewal Underground Power Projects in six suburbs including Hamilton, St James, Scarborough and Eden Hill.  These projects are co-funded by ratepayers through the Local Government.

The budget outyears include around $40 million per year for underground power projects, which represents a significant increase on the $26.2 million invested in 2021/22 but does not align with the large program of work proposed to Local Governments by Western Power.

Western Power are budgeting to spend $50 million to install 69 standalone power supply systems and Horizon Power are forecasting to install 45 standalone power supply systems.
 
Electricity Tariffs
Contestable electricity tariffs for medium business (L3/L4/R3), which are used by some Local Governments, will be reduced by an average of 3.03% in 2022/23 and again in each of the budget out-years, to move toward cost reflective levels.

Streetlighting tariffs (Z) in the area served by Western Power (SWIS) will be increased by an average of 2.81% in 2022/23 and annually in the forecast period.  In the Horizon Power area, streetlight tariffs will be increased by an average 5.9% in 2022/23 and annually thereafter.  This follows very large increases in streetlight tariffs in recent budgets in the Horizon Power area.