The Western Harbour Tunnel and M6 Stage 1 are both on track to open in 2028, and as always planned, these will be tolled motorways.
It's important to be clear: the large forecast increase in toll revenue in budget year 2028 is due to the one-off scheduled opening of two new motorways in that year.
But unlike the former Liberal-National Government, we are not handing these motorways over to the highest bidder in the private sector.
Under the Liberal model, motorways were sold off with ironclad guarantees-decades of rising tolls and assured profits locked in for private operators while motorists were left footing a bill of $195 billion out to 2060.
The Minns Labor Government is changing that. We are keeping the Western Harbour Tunnel and M6 Stage 1 in public hands, along with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel.
This will double the number of toll roads in the network that are not privately owned-essential to rebuilding competition and wrestle back some control and ownership for the people of NSW.
We were honest with the public from day one: the toll situation would get worse before it got better.
That's the reality of the infrastructure pipeline locked in by our predecessors.
And now, the most recent NSW Budget reflects that-with toll revenue projected to rise from $180 million to $283 million in the 2028-29 financial year.
That jump is simply the start of toll collection on those two new roads.
The projected revenue is based on Environmental Impact Statements and planning documents developed and released under the former Liberal Government.
No new decisions have been made to increase tolls or implement two-way tolling, and forecasts will be updated as real-world data comes in.
In the meantime, the NSW Government has already taken action to reduce the burden on motorists through the $60 weekly toll cap-one of the most substantial cost-of-living relief on tolls NSW has ever seen.
This cap ensures that regular commuters aren't punished for living in Western Sydney or using the road network to get to work and back.
We're also undertaking a comprehensive review of the entire tolling system to move toward a model that puts the interests of motorists ahead of private profits.
That means more transparency, more public accountability, and a vision for toll reform built around fairness and affordability-not shareholder returns.
Since the Minns Labor Government's toll cap was introduced on 1 January 2024:
- Number of claims paid: 476,894
- Total claims paid: $139,740,215
