Appeal for easier parking, festival to ‘drive people to Parramatta’ after Light Rail delay

Battered businesses in the Parramatta CBD are calling on the council and state government to step up and undo the economic damage caused by a six-month delay to the new light rail.

Battered businesses in the Parramatta CBD say they deserve a street festival or advanced technology to encourage more patrons to drive in and park their cars, in a bid to undo the damage caused by the latest setback to the light rail.

Business Western Sydney boss David Borger said the announcement the light rail may not open until 2024 was a setback to businesses who have had to deal with their patronage being dramatically impacted by construction of the light rail, particularly on Church Street.

“It’s a blow to the shopkeepers who have struggled to hold on for the last few years,” he said.

“It’s a bit like the rain this season – you think it’s going to end, but it just won’t.”

The call came after Transport Minister David Elliott confirmed the revised opening date for the Parramatta Light Rail would be pushed back to May 2024, at least six months behind the forecast opening date of late 2023.

An artist’s impression of the Westmead stop on the Parramatta Light Rail.

“I think what we need to do is to encourage people in Parramatta to use all available parking space,” Mr Borger said, saying it was important the state government rolled out the Park’N’Pay app which is being used in other parts of Sydney.

The app enables users to get live updates on where there are free parking spaces. Mr Borger also said local council and the state government should now look at further activations – like a street food festival – to draw people back to the CBD.

“We’re coming in to summer now and obviously there’s no driving and parking in Church Street anymore, so it’d be great to get some activation down there – to drive people in and create a party atmosphere,” he said.

“We need anything that drives people into town.”

Shadow Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said passengers were right to be frustrated.

Jo Haylen, shadow transport minister. Picture: Alexi Demetriadi

“The government should have learnt the lessons from the CBD and Eastern suburbs light rail project. Instead passengers are still waiting and businesses are still waiting for foot traffic to return. They can see the tracks and the stations, but can’t use the service,” she said.

“Passengers don’t want to hear more excuses, they just want to know why they won’t have a service for another year.”

Transport Minister David Elliott said he was open to ideas to help local businesses along the light rail line.

“I will be speaking with Transport, to ensure they continue to look for opportunities and initiatives to promote local businesses events and activities and encourage people to head into the Parramatta CBD”, Mr Elliott said.

It’s understood Transport for NSW is still hoping services on the 12 kilometre line linking Westmead to Carlingford will still open as originally forecasted by late 2023, but a revised agreement with contractors Great River City Light Rail means the track could be closed to passengers until the following year.

Despite 100 per cent of the rails being installed and work underway on several of the 16 stops, it’s understood flooding, the impacts of Covid-19 including the four-week construction pause, and supply chain breakdowns, have led to the government bracing for the delay on stage one of the light rail.

Canopy lift at Church St Parramatta. The new light rail route has been setback to now open in 2024.

The delayed handover of the light rail depot site to the contractor to start construction, flooding across Western Sydney, and Local Government Area (LGA) restrictions and worker limits were other issues given for the blowout.

It’s still hoped the testing of trams on the line will begin in early 2023.

Transport Minister David Elliott said the setback came amid unprecedented challenges.

NSW Transport Minister David Elliott. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“I inherited these problems when I took over the portfolio and have been working hard ever since to get the project back on track for the people of western Sydney,” Mr Elliott said.

“I’m working closely with Transport to ensure the testing of the new light rail vehicles is underway in early 2023.”

It comes after state budget papers earlier this year revealed the first stage of the light rail had blown out by $475 million.

It is expected once the mega project is completed that 28,000 passengers will use it every day, with the government estimating 130,000 people will live within walking distance of the 16 light rail stops.

A plan to extend the Parramatta Light Rail to Olympic Park was confirmed in this year’s state budget, with $600m put towards pushing ahead for stage two of the project.

The $602.4 million commitment will pay for preliminary works including an environmental-impact statement.

It’s not the only major project hit by cost and time blow outs in recent months, with the state budget also revealing the cost of building the Sydney Metro City and South West had risen by about $6 billion more than forecasted.

Originally published as Appeal for easier parking, festival to ‘drive people to Parramatta’ after Light Rail delay