Capital spend trimmed in savings bid

The government has trimmed its record capital works spend further, deferring spending on key infrastructure including the Swan Valley Bypass.

The state budget today reveals the government has pushed back $243 million in infrastructure spending beyond 2017-18.

Its asset investment program for 2014-15 is forecast to reach $6.7 billion, down slightly from an estimated $7 billion in 2013-14.

The capital spend is forecast to hit $23.7 billion over four years.

The government will defer about $50 million in spending on the Swan Valley Bypass road project but says it is still on schedule to complete the project by 2018-19.

Almost $60 million in planned public transport infrastructure and station spending has been deferred, and the government will also defer spending on redevelopment projects at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Bentley Hospital and Kalamunda Hospital.

The WA Planning Commission will push back $80 million in planned metropolitan land acquisitions beyond the forward estimates period, while the WA Land Authority will postpone $10 million in spending on the Spoilbank Marina project in Port Hedland.

Fremantle Ports Authority has meanwhile cancelled $32 million in planned spending at the Kwinana Bulk Terminal, and deferred a further $33 million in spending on various other projects.

The government last year announced the $1.9 billion MAX light rail project would be delayed until at least 2022, with just $17 million in spending on the project currently scheduled in the forward years. 

The scheduled completion of another major transport project, the $2 billion airport rail link, was meanwhile pushed back to 2020.

The government has allocated $683 million towards that project over the next four years.