We must kick these goals: our prosperity depends on it

It is rather amusing to read some of the contradictory contributions from some members of the media.

One minute it’s “hooray’’ because our university is expanding or a classy new suburb gets the green light.

Then you choke on your muesli when they start blabbing about saving the environment, stopping development and how progress is such a terrible thing.

In the age of “Dr Google’’ there is no excuse for not remembering or knowing that you are contradicting yourself.

Yes, of course we must take the impact on the environment into account when new housing or a new road is under consideration.

And by and large we do. It’s not a perfect system but it’s probably the best there is.

Now that we have got that out of the way, here’s our Top 5 things the region must get to continue to prosper well into the future.

If we don’t tick these off it will be like kicking an own goal, and no team likes doing that.

Number 1: This is a no brainer – a railway line linking the Western Sydney airport with Camden and Campbelltown and the north west. Talk about a game changer.

Number 2. Oops, so is this one – Appin Road has to be widened, as soon as possible, to two lanes each way.

Number 3. Bridge over the rail line at Badgally Road and Broughton Street  is now needed more than ever since the opening of the new link road between Eagle Vale Drive and Camden Valley Way, through Gregory Hills. Coming back it is so frustrating if your next business call is in Queen Street and it takes 10 minutes instead of one to get there.

Number 4. Talking about our poor old main street, council has not built one single new car parking space around it for 20 years, maybe more. No wonder fewer and fewer people bother going to Queen Street. Time to build some multi storey carparking to help revive Queen Street.

Number 5. We’ve said it before: a Norwest-like business park on the western side of the railway, off Farrow Road, incorporating a new civic centre. Council needs administration offices anyway, and it has the money to get stuck into it.