For the 2015-2016 financial year, $A 45.5m ($US 35.9m) has been allocated for planning, procurement activities and land acquisition related to the Forrestfield-Airport Link with construction on the $A 2bn project due to start next year.

However, there is no immediate funding in the budget for planning the stalled Max light rail project and nothing in the forward estimates until 2017-2018, with $A 17m set aside. In March this year state transport minister Mr Dean Nalder cast doubt on the light rail project claiming that bus rapid transit would provide more cost-effective option and would cope with demand in Perth until at least 2031. This is despite arguments to the contrary in the government's own draft transport strategy and the fact that the light rail project has higher priority in that strategy than the airport link.

The government has committed to the purchase of 300 new EMU cars for the TransPerth network over a ten year period, at an estimated cost of $A 1.2bn, for use on the electrified TransPerth network, effectively doubling the suburban EMU fleet.

Planning for the EMU project will begin soon, with $A 5m allocated in 2015-2016, although the first trains are not expected to be delivered until 2019.