About half a million drivers in NSW will get cash rebates every three months. This is part of the Toll Rebate Scheme, which will be included in this month’s Budget.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said that more drivers in NSW would get targeted payments from the new scheme than from the Registration Relief Scheme.
“This new programme will help drivers more often and in more ways. The number of people who don’t have to pay tolls will more than double. Almost 300,000 extra drivers will benefit,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Since our economy is doing well, we can ease the cost of living by making sure that a lot more drivers can get help, especially in western, northwestern, and southwestern Sydney.
“This is a more fair system because it is based more on how much a driver actually spends on tolls. Every year, drivers will get up to $750 back.”
Under the new relief plan, drivers who spend more than $375 on tolls in a year will get back 40% of what they paid. The most each customer will get each year is $750.
The programme will run for the first two years while the government finishes and puts into place long-term changes to tolling.
Treasurer Matt Kean said that the new steps to reduce tolls would make it cheaper to drive on the State’s roads.
“These rebates will make it easier for people, families, and small businesses to use toll roads,” Mr. Kean said.
“Because of tolling, major new and improved highways can be built years or even decades early. This plan will put money back in the bank accounts of drivers to help them deal with the rising cost of living.
Natalie Ward, the Minister for Metropolitan Roads, said that the toll rebates would also make key arterial roads less crowded.
Mrs. Ward said, “NSW drivers will be able to use the state-of-the-art motorway network to get where they need to go faster and more reliably, and they will get money back to help lower the cost of living.”
“This system aims to improve Sydney’s highway system so that families and small businesses that use our roads to get to work every day spend less time stuck in traffic and more time at home or helping their customers.”
Road users can still get vehicle registration relief for tolls paid up until June 30, 2022. This can be done until June 30, 2023. Customers can use the new programme for tolls paid after July 1, 2022. They will get their first rebate payment in early 2023, and then quarterly payments after that.
The M5 South West Cashback Scheme will keep going.
The Toll Reform Review will keep looking at ways to change policies.
