1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Would you pay nine bucks to cross the Harbor Bridge. 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: The answer, of course, depends on whether you can afford it. 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: Congestion charging is coming, don't forget that, So if you're 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: going at peak times, it's going to cost you a 5 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: hell of a lot to drive. This is only a proposal, 6 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: by the way, based on the original toll inflation adjusted 7 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: that was almost seventy years ago. Now the suggestion, and 8 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: nothing's hard and fastest comes from the Infrastructure Commission report 9 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: we got out yesterday. We know there'll be a toll 10 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: to cross the new bridge or tunnel, whichever gets built, 11 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: because the government has already told us that they will 12 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: do that. I've told us they'll be a toll. What 13 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: we know now is that both the old and the 14 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: new crossing will need to be told, so there's no 15 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 1: avoiding it. If you can avoid it, they don't collect 16 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: the revenue that they need to pay for the new one, 17 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: and then you go, why nine dollars they reckon? It's 18 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: the sweet spot that'll get enough people using it to 19 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: make enough money to pay for the new build again 20 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: without scaring everybody off and then leaving it short on revenue. 21 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: So basically, a car over the bridge becomes a luxury item. 22 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: You'll either need to be a little bit rich, or 23 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: as happens overseas, your employer might pay for your car, 24 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: or you to your truck to crossover. But what about 25 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: everybody else, Well, don't worry. When they build the new bridge, 26 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: it'll have bus lanes or public transport options or trains 27 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,919 Speaker 1: on it as well, so you can get public transport 28 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: and that'll be cheaper. Most people they reckon in this 29 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:31,199 Speaker 1: report will opt for the alternative, the public transport, which 30 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: is fine so long as public transport suddenly becomes reliable 31 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: and more linked up and bus drivers aren't getting stabbed 32 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: and bashed all the time, which is currently the problem 33 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: they have. The other point here is is nine dollars 34 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: actually that much money in the scheme of things. People 35 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: cross the harbor by ferry for about that price every day, 36 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: But there is a cap on how much you pay 37 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: over time, of course, and usually you haven't got your 38 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: car running costs and your petrol et cetera, et cetera, 39 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: so driving we'll basically become a premium option. The question 40 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: then becomes, do you not build something like this because 41 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: nine dollars And the answer is simple, of course you do. 42 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: If we complain about the cost of building stuff and 43 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: never build a thing, we will continue this death spiral 44 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: that we've been in. We need productivity, growth, infrastructure, all 45 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: those good things, and they don't come from nowhere. They 46 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: come from good planned investment. What we need is decent 47 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: financial controls on the design and construction. We need a 48 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 1: government doing the budget rather than the gold plated version, 49 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: and then we need the government to agree with the 50 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: one that comes after it that this is in the 51 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: national interest. This is a national interest project. Mess with 52 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: the bridge and you mess with us, and then it's simple. 53 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: You just get on and build the thing. For more 54 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: from early edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to News 55 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: Talk set Be from five am weekdays, or follow the 56 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.