Federal budget delivers $890 million for South Australian infrastructure in largest ever SA allocation

South Australia has secured $890 million in federal infrastructure funding from the most recent Commonwealth budget, its largest single-year federal infrastructure commitment on record, with major funding streams for the Torrens to Darlington motorway project, the Gawler Rail electrification, and a new social housing construction program targeting 800 dwellings across metropolitan Adelaide and regional SA.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said South Australia's share of the national infrastructure program reflected both the state's strong pipeline of shovel-ready projects and the Commonwealth's commitment to supporting economic activity in all states. The SA allocation represents approximately 9.5 per cent of the total national program, consistent with the state's share of the national population and GDP.

Premier Peter Malinauskas described the funding as a watershed moment for SA infrastructure, noting that the state had historically received less than its population share from Commonwealth programs. "Jim Chalmers and this government have listened, and South Australia is better off for it," he said.

Federal Labor's two SA Senate seats are considered safe, but the government has been working to shore up marginal House seats in Adelaide's southern and northern suburbs where infrastructure investment has been a consistent community concern. The Torrens to Darlington funding will directly benefit residents of several of those electorates.

The housing program funding will be channelled through the Housing Australia Future Fund, which requires state co-contribution to unlock Commonwealth dollars. SA has confirmed it will match the federal housing investment dollar-for-dollar.

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