Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

The $500 million is not about establishing the authority. I stand by the answer I gave to Senator Cadell's question earlier, which is—and I'm happy to repeat it—that the Australian government has committed $500 million to securing the Sydney-to-Newcastle corridor of the high-speed rail network as a key first stage. This includes funding to start corridor acquisition, planning and early work and includes working closely with the New South Wales government. The High Speed Rail Authority will work collaboratively with the Australian government and the New South Wales government to determine the best way to deliver the project. Before allocating funding, the government will consider advice from the authority.