NSW cash splash as election day nears

The NSW government is digging deep with $1 billion worth of election promises including a Sydney hospital revamp and an Illawarra highway link.

(AAP)

(AAP Image/Paul Miller) Source: AAP

With less than two weeks to go until polling day, the NSW government is opening its wallet.

Premier Mike Baird made more than $1 billion worth of promises before lunchtime on Monday.

The day began with a trip south to Albion Park Rail, near Wollongong, where he pledged $550 million to build a long-awaited highway link aimed at reducing local congestion.

There was a brief pit-stop in Bondi Junction in Sydney's east for the announcement of a $10 million community crime-fighting fund, and then it was on to the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick for another half-billion pledge.

"Prince of Wales Hospital is an icon, and under us, it'll be redeveloped in a way that will transform it to deliver health services going forward," Mr Baird said.

The government has vowed to start work on a major redevelopment - the first for the hospital in 20 years - within its next term.

Labor, on the other hand, kept a relatively low profile on Monday, with leader Luke Foley heading west with a $4 million-promise to bring back the guardian service for Friday and Saturday night trains, and run all-night weekend rail services between Kings Cross and Sydney city stations.

Yet profile must be playing on both leaders' minds as March 28 edges closer.

A Galaxy/Daily Telegraph poll released on Monday morning suggests only one third of voters can name Mr Foley as alternative premier, compared to the 65 per cent who correctly identified Mr Baird.

Mr Foley brushed off questions about his apparent obscurity - "There's a pretty damn big poll in 12 or 13 days time that's taking up a bit of my thinking space" - while the Liberal leader conceded he had "more work to do".

"It probably shows that a third of the state have interests other than politics - and I say that's very healthy," Mr Baird laughed.

"It does show that I've got more work to do, and I've got two weeks to get around the state and remind people of the difference we're making."


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Source: AAP


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