More than 12,000 people have signed a petition calling on the NSW Government to abandon its plans to extend the toll on the M5 South West for decades to come.
The petition was launched in October last year in response to the government announcing its plans to include tolling rights for the M5 South West in the sale of the Sydney Motorway Corporation.
The toll on the 22-kilometre stretch of the M5 South West Motorway was due to expire at the end of 2026, when the road was paid off.
However, under the Berejiklian Government’s plan the toll could be extended into the 2060s, rising by four per cent or the rate of inflation every year.
That means local residents will be paying tolls for an extra 30 years.
A motorist from South West Sydney using the M5 to commute to and from work would pay $9.20 a day in tolls, which equates to $2,162 annually – before accounting for annual increases.
The two Labor MPs Greg Warren (Campbelltown) and Anoulack Chanthivong (Macquarie Fields) behind the petition say there’s no guarantee from the government that the Cashback system will continue well into the future.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“This petition is an expression of what I hear each and every day from local residents – that the government’s plans to extend the M5 toll are unfair and that they will have a big impact on the cost of living,’’ says Mr Warren.[/social_quote]
“The Liberal Government has nowhere to hide – they will be forced to come into Parliament and explain why they want drivers in South West Sydney to continue paying tolls for decades after the road has been paid off,’’ he said.
Mr Chanthivong said that the people of his electorate and South West Sydney have “sent a very strong message to the Berejiklian Liberal Government – the toll extension is unfair and will hurt families in our community who are already struggling to balance the household budget.
“A recurring theme in the comments on the petitions sent to my office was that people can’t afford to keep paying for a road that is constantly backed up with traffic. I share my constituents’ outrage over this greedy cash grab and I’m glad we’ve been able to take the fight directly to State Parliament with this petition,” he said.
