We hardly ever trust big transport announcements – here’s how politicians get it right
Crystal Legacy
Australian governments regularly spend billions of dollars cancelling infrastructure projects, or dealing with delays and legal challenges. The NSW Berejiklian government, for instance, is mired in legal battles around Sydney’s light rail project – with the Spanish company building the rail line suing the government for A$1.2 billion for costs and damages.
Other examples include the cancellations of the A$1.1 billion East-West link in Melbourne and Perth’s A$450 million Roe 8 project.
Research shows transport infrastructure is costly because of its size, complexity, and the misrepresentation of project benefits, resulting in cost overruns. But transport projects are also costly because they are controversial. Governments and project proponents can spend significant amounts of money to manage the risk of project cancellation, delays and legal challenges.
Why the constant controversy?
