There'll be no change to NSW Blue Mountains tunnel project timing, Paul Toole says

That's the message from Member for Bathurst and NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole after a report to the NSW Government this week recommended that a number of "megaprojects", including the tunnel which is set to be Australia's longest, be delayed due to the problem of rising costs.

The NSW Government's independent body Infrastructure NSW has instead recommended the state's spending be diverted to smaller projects that will provide "high returns and faster paybacks with less budget and delivery risks".

Mr Toole has been a vocal advocate for the NSW Government's plan to duplicate the highway from Katoomba in the state's Blue Mountains to Lithgow in the state's Central Tablelands, which includes a planned tunnel under Blackheath and Mount Victoria.

He said on Wednesday there would be no change to the project's timing.

"The government is still committed to megaprojects and the Great Western Highway is one of those projects that is going to continue with delivery," he said.

He said a duplicated Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow would better connect Sydney and the Central West and the people of the Central West with the new Western Sydney Airport.

"It's a vital link and it's one that we've done a lot of work on over the past few years and it [the project] is going to be continuing," he said.

"And I think this government's got a record of building big projects and delivering them."

Infrastructure NSW also recommended the second stage of the Parramatta Light Rail be delayed, though the NSW Government says it will also be going ahead with that project.

Mr Toole said the next stage for the highway duplication would be the government going to tender "very shortly" for the roadworks on the eastern and western sections of the Katoomba to Lithgow route and "construction will begin at the start of the new year".

"And two years later, we'll have the final design for the tunnel and will be going out for tender for construction [of it] as well," he said.

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Asked if he had been surprised to see the recommendation that the tunnel project be put on ice, Mr Toole emphasised that Infrastructure NSW was an independent body.

"We know that there have been increases in building costs and some of them [projects] may have to be looked at to be slowed down, though they still will be delivered. But the Great Western Highway won't be fitting into that category," he said.

There has been $4.5 billion committed in total to the Great Western Highway duplication so far, though the Commonwealth agreed to its share of that funding during the previous Morrison government.

Mr Toole said he was confident the Commonwealth's funding agreement would be honoured under the new Albanese government - and he was hopeful more money would be forthcoming.

"We have an 80-20 arrangement with the federal government on the east and the western sections of the road," he said.

"The NSW Government has already committed its money for the central part, which is the tunnel, and we'll be expecting the federal government to come forward in the near future to commit their funding to see this tunnel come to fruition."