The Prime Minister this morning announced extra funding for a metro rail link between the new airport at Badgerys Creek and St Marys.
Mr Morrison said the extra $3.5 billion would mean the metro would be up and running by the time the airport opened in 2026.
But there was no mention of a metro link south of the airport to the booming outer South West Sydney region.
That was left to the Labor leader Anthony Albanese and his man in Macarthur, Dr Mike Freelander, to point out this afternoon.
First of all Labor renewed its commitment of $3 billion to build a rail line from Leppington station to the new airport with a link to the great population centres of Macarthur at Camden, Narellan and Campbelltown.
Labor says the Prime Minister’s announcement today completely ignored the needs of outer South West Sydney by failing to mention the need for the rail line to extend beyond the aerotropolis and into the growing communities of Macarthur.
“It really is a slap in the face to Macarthur,’’ Mr Albanese said.
“Macarthur residents need local jobs in order to kick start the local economy in the wake of Covid-19.
“If the government was serious about our economic recovery, they would make this rail link a reality.”
The current plan, which has been in place for several years, has a metro to St Marys from the airport and frequent bus services for Macarthur residents. The rail link south could take a decade or more after the airport opens in 2026.
Member for Macarthur Dr Mike Freelander said it was unfathomable that the Coalition Government refused to connect his community to the new airport when it opens.
“The establishment of the South West Rail Link to the airport is a necessary step to create jobs in Macarthur, and support struggling local families and businesses in the process,” Dr Freelander said
“Our economic recovery depends on a bipartisan response to this crisis – it is time the Government provided funding for vital projects outside of Liberal electorates.
“I have worked in a bipartisan manner to address the health crisis, and it is time that the Government do the same in our economic recovery, by funding a rail link for Macarthur.”
Why are we always treated like a poor relation, thrown a few scraps to shut us up but missing out on the big stuff.
Eric.. there needs to be investigation as to why the rail route goes backward to St Marys and then down the line via Parramatta. Why not straight east to Liverpool then onto Bankstown and associated route to Sydney.