Thanks to Dominic Perrottet and the Liberal’s tollmania, new forecasts confirm the WestConnex toll will rise on 1 January 2023 by a record 6.1 per cent, with further significant toll increases expected during the 2023 election period.
The increase means a one way trip on the M8 goes up to $7.98 one way, and on the M4 to $6.82 one way.
Western Sydney households will be hardest impacted by the increases. The government’s own data shows that 17 of the top 20 most tolled postcodes are in Western Sydney.
A driver going from Penrith into the Sydney CBD for work every day using the M4 could now potentially pay $3,410 a year on tolls.
The figures were revealed in a release to the stock exchange by tolling company Transurban to co-incide with its Annual General Meeting.
It was also revealed that April 2023 to September 2023 will see the ‘peak’ toll increases as inflation forecasts spike.
Peak toll inflation will impact on a further seven Sydney toll roads (Northconnex, Westlink M7, Cross City Tunnel, Hills M2, Lane Cove Tunnel, M5 South West and the Eastern Distributor) each quarter and will then further flow through to Westconnex on 1 January 2024.
Because of Dominic Perrottet, motorists in Sydney pay tolls on over a million trips per day, totalling about $2.3 billion annually.
Over the remaining life of existing toll road contracts, this will leave Sydney motorists paying over $100 billion in tolls – all going to private toll road operators.
| OLD | NEW | |||
| Cars | Trucks | Cars | Trucks | |
| Westconnex M8 | $7.52 | $22.56 | $7.98 | $23.94 |
| Westconnex M5 East | $7.52 | $22.56 | $7.98 | $23.94 |
| Westconnex M4 (max toll) | $8.87 | $26.61 | $9.41 | $28.23 |
NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns said:
This will be a massive hit to the family budgets of people in Western Sydney.
“And what we can be certain of is that tolls will continue to go up and up and up because of this privatisation obsession of Dominic Perrottet.”
“And in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Sydney households are getting slammed for it. We’re already the most tolled city in the world.”
NSW Shadow Minister for Roads John Graham said:
“This is the worst ever New Year’s Day gift as tolls on Westconnex leap 6.1%.
“This market reporting predicts it will then get worse.
“The report shows that peak toll inflation will hit Sydney just as voters go to the polls in March.
“That will have drivers upset and the Government worried.”