The first of the 2011 state-territory budgets was released today – and there’s money for bus stuff
May 3, 2011
More than $38 million will be invested in road programs and public transport across Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield from the Northern Territory Government’s 2011 Budget.
NT Construction Minister Gerry McCarthy says $1.7 million will be invested into improving public transport across Darwin and Palmerston including new bus bays, bus shelters, and better communication for passengers.
The $1.73 million on public transport includes a raft of fully funded upgrades and new initiatives.
This year’s Territory budget will provide a $300,000 investment towards four additional bus bays at Palmerston bus interchange to cater for growth in the area.
Also planned for expenditure is a $500,000 upgrade and replacement of bus shelters across Darwin to provide disability access, $300,000 to replace and upgrade bus shelters across the Territory, $100,000 to install disabled toilets at Palmerston and Casuarina interchanges, $300,000 to install new bus stop signs in Darwin, and a $30,000 investment to install a PA system at Darwin, Casuarina and Palmerston Bus interchanges to allow passengers to receive important travel information.
The lion’s share of the $38 million allocation will go towards improving the road network at the top of the ‘top end’.
“We’re injecting more than $37 million into improving the roads for motorists in the Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield region, providing better traffic flow and improved safety for pedestrians,” McCarthy says.
“With work coming along rapidly to provide homes for up to 15,000 people in Palmerston over the next five years, we’re investing in infrastructure to support the population growth – including a $6 million investment to upgrade to Jenkins Road – a key road for the development of Weddell.”
McCarthy says the $38 million investment into the Darwin-Palmerston region is part of a $307 million commitment into improving the Northern Territory’s roads.