Bridge and bypass are no certainty, Pasin warns
The state government has yet to decide whether it will match a $525 million funding commitment to a freight bypass around Murray Bridge.
A second Swanport Bridge and a Monarto bypass will never be built unless the state government commits funding to the project, opposition MPs have warned.
Federal minister Catherine King announced last week that the federal Labor government would commit $525 million to the project as part of its 2025 budget.
It was not an election promise, she said – it was guaranteed funding.
However, if the project is to go ahead, the state government will need to commit funding, too.
The federal government is reportedly asking SA to pay 50 per cent of the cost – another $525 million.
But Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis told the ABC this week that the state government had not yet committed to that.
“We’ve got our state budget coming up in June and we’re considering all of these Commonwealth government announcements,” he said.
In that light, federal Liberal MP Tony Pasin described last week’s announcement as a “cruel hoax”.
“(Prime Minister) Anthony Albanese didn’t give the South Australian premier a heads-up that he needs half a billion dollars to deliver this critical infrastructure,” he said.
“Without this funding there will be no bypass.
“The South Australian community has no certainty at all.”
State Liberal MP Ben Hood urged the state government to indicate whether it would fund the project sooner than later.
Traditionally, the federal government has provided 80% of the cost of joint federal-state infrastructure projects, with state governments chipping in the other 20%.
However, the federal Labor government announced late last year it would prefer a 50-50 arrangement.
If work on the bridge and bypass are to begin in 2025-26, funding will have to be included in South Australia’s state budget, due to be handed down on June 5.
