SOUTH-WESTERN MOTORWAY (M5 MOTORWAY)

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The project consists of an A$230 million 9-mile tolled motorway in Sydney's south-west that opened in August 1992. The tollway extends from King Georges Road in Beverly Hills to Moorebank Avenue in Casula. The motorway provides a direct link from Sydney's south-western suburbs to the airport, port, and Sydney CBD. Exhibit 4.17 shown toll booths on the M5 Motorway

Exhibit 4.17 M5 Motorway Toll Booths

Source: Maunsell of Australia, 2005

The project was delivered via a build own operate transfer partnership by InterLink Roads Pty Ltd under a lease that expires in 2023. This was Leighton Contractors first major privatized infrastructure project. Interlink's owners are Macquarie Infrastructure Group(50%), Retail Employees Superannuation, Sunsuper and interests associated with Hastings Funds Management, the Development Australia Fund and the AMP Infrastructure Equity Fund. The M5 was opened well ahead of schedule and on budget.

Issues/Results: The motorway operators benefited considerably from the flow of traffic from the M5 East Motorway, an eastern extension to the M5 Motorway, which was fully funded by Government with no tolls applied on users.

The motorway is severely congested in AM peaks inbound to the Sydney CBD. Plans are being developed to provide an additional tunnel that would likely operate in a "tidal flow" format to provide additional capacity.