Since the New South Wales (NSW) government launched its permanent weekly $60 toll cap scheme in January 2024 to counter soaring cost-of-living pressures, more than 862,000 local motorists have collectively claimed $284 million in cashback relief, new official data reveals. Fifty-eight suburbs across the state have now crossed the threshold of $1 million in total returned toll payments, earning them a place in the scheme’s so-called “$1 million club”, with 10 suburbs even pushing past the $2 million mark for collective claims.
The latest suburbs to secure a spot in the $1 million club include Mount Druitt, Bella Vista, Coogee, Austral, Kings Langley, Oakhurst, Macquarie Park, South Wentworthville and Box Hill. Top-performing suburbs by total relief claimed include 10 suburbs that have each received more than $2 million: Carlingford, West Pennant Hills, Punchbowl, Greystanes, Bankstown, Kellyville, Lakemba, Quakers Hill, Marsden Park and Castle Hill. At the upper end of the scale, four major areas have racked up more than $4 million in total cashback. Blacktown leads the pack with 12,030 individual claims averaging $398 per driver, followed by Auburn where the average claim hits $674, with Baulkham Hills and Merrylands rounding out the $4 million-plus group.
NSW Premier Chris Minns emphasized that the targeted relief is reaching the communities hit hardest by ongoing economic pressures, including rising interest rates, persistent inflation and volatile fuel prices. “We’re seeing that support land where it’s needed most, across Western Sydney with suburbs like Mount Druitt, Blacktown, Auburn and Baulkham Hills claiming more than $1 million in toll relief,” Minns said. The premier noted that making the $60 weekly toll cap a permanent policy change has eliminated the uncertainty of unpredictable monthly toll bills for regular commuters, putting much-needed disposable income back into household budgets and delivering consistent financial certainty week to week.
The toll relief scheme is part of the NSW government’s broader push to address toll inequity across Sydney. In line with that commitment, the government is set to introduce two-way tolling for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel by 2028, a reform designed to end the current system that places disproportionate toll burden on Western Sydney motorists, who currently pay tolls in both directions for cross-city trips while Harbour crossing users only pay for one direction of travel. The existing one-way toll structure for the Harbour crossings has not seen a price increase between 2009 and 2023.
For the 2025 calendar year, more than $100 million in unclaimed toll relief remains available to eligible motorists. Commuters who have not yet claimed their cashback for the first three months of 2025 are encouraged to visit the official Service NSW website to check their eligibility and submit their claims before closing deadlines.