Sydney Harbour Bridge Truck Toll Reform: Nine-Fold Increase Tested, Government’s Plan Under Scrutiny – Sydney Property Auction Clearance Rate at 71%

Week’s Key Focus

An independent review of Sydney’s toll road system has revealed that the NSW government tested multiple toll adjustment scenarios, including a ninefold increase in charges for heavy vehicles using the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel. A confidential report from June last year warned the state government that the existing traffic modeling was inadequate for making multibillion-dollar decisions, yet it was still used to explore reform options for the city’s 13 toll roads.

Under the current system, trucks pay the same $2.67 to $4.27 tolls as passenger vehicles when traveling southbound on the Harbour Bridge and Tunnel, while northbound trips remain toll-free. In contrast, Sydney’s WestConnex motorway charges trucks three times the toll paid by cars. The government-commissioned tolling reform review, led by former competition regulator Allan Fels, was released in July last year. It recommended introducing a distance-based tolling model and two-way tolls on the Harbour Bridge, Harbour Tunnel, and Eastern Distributor to balance costs across Sydney’s motorway network. However, a peer review by consultancy ShapeTransport raised concerns that the extreme pricing scenarios tested in the modeling could not accurately predict driver behavior, making them unreliable for investment decisions.

Amid growing criticism, NSW Roads Minister John Graham defended the government’s approach, stating that efforts were underway to create a fairer tolling system, while blaming the previous Liberal government for making Sydney the world’s most tolled city. Meanwhile, opposition transport spokesperson Natalie Ward called on the government to clarify why officials considered a ninefold toll increase for certain drivers and to provide transparency on the details of the toll reform plan.

The NSW government is still in negotiations with toll road operator Transurban and other major investors regarding potential reforms. Transport for NSW stated that the ninefold toll increase was never adopted as policy, and that traffic modeling is continuously being refined to ensure a well-structured reform strategy. As discussions progress, the future of Sydney’s toll road system remains uncertain, leaving many awaiting further developments.

Sydney Park Terrace

Auction Results Last Week

Sydney: 1,218 properties went to auction, with 751 results reported and 532 properties sold, resulting in a clearance rate of 71%. The total auction value reached $572,489,576 AUD, with a median house price of $1,600,000 AUD.
Melbourne: 1,355 properties went to auction, with 1,015 results reported and 675 properties sold, leading to a clearance rate of 67%. The total auction value amounted to $513,140,300 AUD, with a median house price of $990,000 AUD.