By Kyra Gillespie
Cardinia motorists who regularly use CityLink will pay almost $100 extra a week by 2024 under new Victorian Government toll increases.
A new report on the West Gate Tunnel Project and CityLink tolls by Parliament’s independent budget office reveals a deal struck by the Andrews Government with Transurban will cost motorists an extra $37.3 billion in tolls.
It calculates that daily CityLink commuters will be charged just over $87,060 extra in tolls over the life of the agreement.
The deal, where the Andrews Government granted Transurban a 10-year extension of tolls on CityLink to 2044-45, will help fund the $6.7 billion West Gate Tunnel, which is under construction.
Tolls on CityLink will increase by 4.25 per cent every year until 2029, then rise by CPI.
According to the 2016 Census, 27,776 or 61.9 per cent of Cardinia Shire’s working residents travel outside of the area to work.
Motorists who use CityLink five days a week, for 48 weeks a year, will pay an extra $15,000. By 2044–45, some heavy users will have paid more than $51,000 to regularly use the tollway.
When asked if $51,000 for regular users was a fair figure, Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said, “The numbers around the delivery have been already released… There is no new information in these figures.”
“We have been transparent with the arrangements around this project, there have been a number of reports released, there was legislation, and it’s been debated multiple times.
“What this project delivers is a choice for Victorians; they can choose whether to use the tunnel or the freeway depending on how people want to travel.”
State Liberal Member for Gembrook Brad Battin MP, has described the deal as a “financial dud.”
“These extra tolls will hurt local motorists in the south eastern suburbs who use CityLink… [and] will also impact on small and large businesses with greater freight costs that will be passed onto every Victorian consumer,” Mr Battin said.
“Daniel Andrews likes to talk a lot about the cost of living but Transurban profits are clearly more important to Labor than the hip pockets of Victorians.
“This is a terrible deal for Victorian motorists but it’s a gold mine for Transurban.”
