Labor’s Anthony Albanese to prioritise investing in Western Sydney as he reveals his plans

Labor heavyweight Anthony Albanese wants a Sydney where you cannot discern a person’s salary simply based on where they live. The MP for Grayndler was also put on the spot over whether he would ever run as his party’s leader.

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Labor heavyweight Anthony Albanese wants a Sydney where you cannot discern a person’s salary simply based on where they live.

“My vision is that you can’t tell someone’s income by looking at their postcode,” Mr Albanese told The Daily Telegraph.

The MP for Grayndler, who will be the next Minister for Infrastructure and Planning if his party emerges successful after May 18, also threw down the gauntlet to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, daring him to match Labor’s $3 billion pledge to build Sydney’s underground western metro between the CBD and Parramatta.

Labor heavyweight Anthony Albanese hopes one day a postcode doesn’t define someone’s income. Picture: Tim Hunter

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The NSW government is also hoping the Coalition will commit money, which has so far been lacking. And Mr Albanese said Mr Morrison could not pledge to be the government for Western Sydney without committing to the project.

“This is symbolic of the Morrison government’s myopic vision for Sydney,” he said.

Mr Albanese said he believed government had an important role to play in ensuring wages were distributed more evenly right across the city.

“It doesn’t happen by accident. Wealth will concentrate without intervention,” he said.

“That’s the big difference between myself and the government’s approach. I unashamedly think that you need proper planning and it’s the role of the government to have proper planning.”

He has challenged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to match Labor’s $3 billion pledge to build Sydney’s underground western metro between the CBD and Parramatta. Picture: Gary Ramage

Mr Albanese said Sydney was almost unique in the way planning, development and job growth had led to concentrated pockets of wealth and he believes this can be tackled by policies that support high-value jobs in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, biotech, logistics and IT in a spread of areas.

“There’s no reason why those jobs can’t be created in Western Sydney. Some are already, with the Western Sydney Airport,” he said.

He pointed to The Daily Telegraph’s Go West campaign as an example of the principles that led to what he called “inclusive” ­cities.

“Successful cities are ­inclusive cities and The Daily Tele’s Go West campaign has ­embodied that principle to argue correctly that means prioritising investment in Western Sydney,” Mr Albanese said.

He said he ­already had a constructive relationship with the Berejiklian ­Coalition government.

“They’ve been elected for four years and we want to work with them. Particularly in two big public transport projects of the North South Rail Link and the Western Metro,” Mr Albanese said.

“I’m from Sydney, I think I understand Sydney in all its ­diversity and the fact that it’s just not one place.”

Mr Albanese said there is no way jobs can’t be created in Western Sydney, with the airport being a prime example. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Albanese has long been touted as a future Labor leader but when asked on Tuesday if he had aspirations to lead the party, all he would say was he wanted to be a Minister again and he wanted his party to win the election.

JET FUEL INJECTED AIRPORT ON CARDS

An underground jet fuel pipeline will be built to the new Western Sydney airport if Labor wins the election, in a move that will take about 65 ­B-double trucks a day off the city’s roads.

The infrastructure, which Labor would aim to have ready to go by day one of the airport opening in 2026, would secure vital fuel supplies for the Badgerys Creek project without adding heavy truck traffic congestion.

The pipeline would link the new airport with the Clyde Fuel Terminal, which already has a dedicated jet fuel pipeline to Sydney Airport.

The Coalition state government is undertaking scoping work to identify a corridor for the project, but until now money has not been set aside for it.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal a Shorten government would invest $71 million to build the pipeline.

Labor infrastructure spokes­­man Anthony Albanese will announce the promise today. It is expected to be seized on by Labor candidates campaigning in Western ­Sydney as a key anti-congestion offering.

Infrastructure Australia first identified the need for the pipeline in 2016 and calculated that the new airport, when at full capacity, would need up to 65 B-double tankers to deliver fuel every day.

Deloitte modelling found that the fuel tankers would in fact damage Sydney’s roads to the tune of $140 million over a 25-year period, making the fuel pipeline a worthwhile ­investment.

The project would be ­funded via an equity injection into Western Sydney Airport Corporation.