The Hon Alex Hawke MP, Federal Member for Mitchell

The Turnbull Government’s Western Sydney City Deal to provide heavy rail from Badgerys Creek Aerotropolis to St Marys via Western Sydney Airport is great news for residents and commuters of North West Sydney. This $7 billion deal builds on the Turnbull Government’s $5.3 billion commitment to build the Airport and develop the region into an economic powerhouse. This is an important achievement that will benefit the people of NSW, and I highly commend the Government’s leadership in addressing the current and future infrastructure challenges of our growing region.

What is vital now is that we get Stage 2 built as soon as possible. The St Marys to Rouse Hill heavy rail line will open up the Airport to key residential and commercial markets within North West Sydney and my electorate of Mitchell. I will be leading the campaign with residents, local communities and industry bodies to fight for this much-needed infrastructure. A roundtable has been convened with the Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities, local Business Chambers and key stakeholders in North West Sydney to discuss these issues further.

The key objectives include the preservation and protection of suitable corridors for future rail connections, as well as valuecapture financing to maximise funding in the best interest of taxpayers, landowners and local communities. I will also be advocating for a set timeframe, allowing businesses certainty to plan and invest in the region.

Recognising the significant cost of this project, I have recommended that the NSW Government partners with the Federal Government to consider value-capture financing models used around the world to fund large scale infrastructure projects. It will also be beneficial to incorporate insights learnt from the Sydney Metro project to further uplift the corridor’s economic and liveability potential.

Together we can work towards delivering the North South Rail Link potentially earlier than the current projected timeframe, help realise the aspiration of a 30-minute city for Western Sydney, and bring residents closer to jobs, education and services.

For more information on the Western Sydney City Deal, please visit https://cities.infrastructure.gov.au/western-sydney-city-deal