The blowout leaderboard
Government projects ranked by how many times over the first public figure they now cost. Together they are $95.6bn over.
- 1BOM website$4.1m → $96.5mFirst figure (2025)$4.1mNow$96.5m23.5×
$4.1m was the figure first given to the public.
- 2Snowy 2.0$2bn → $22.2bnFirst figure (2017)$2bnNow$22.2bn11.1×
Target cost. Up to $25bn with contingency; transmission not included.
- 3Inland Rail$10.7bn → $45.6bnFirst figure (2015)$10.7bnNow$45.6bn4.3×
Both P90 estimates for the full Melbourne to Brisbane line. Only Beveridge to Parkes is now being built.
- 4Cross River Rail$5.4bn → $19bnFirst figure (2017)$5.4bnNow$19bn3.5×
Queensland Government figure (Oct 2025). It includes 25 years of tunnel maintenance and network works; Labor disputes counting them.
- 5North East Link$10bn → $26.1bnFirst figure (2016)$10bnNow$26.1bn2.6×
Victoria's December 2023 estimate. Includes the Eastern Freeway and M80 upgrades added since.
- 6Hunter-class frigates$35bn → $45.6bnFirst figure (2018)$35bnNow$45.6bn1.3×
2020 Force Structure Plan estimate for nine ships. The program is now six ships; close to $27bn is allocated for the first three, including the Osborne shipyard.
"First figure" is the first cost estimate given to the public. "Now" is the latest official estimate. Each project links to a story with the full timeline and sources.