‘Complete disgrace’: Doonside lifts sparks fiery debate in parliament
Residents turned out in the fight for lifts at Doonside station, but upgrades remain uncertain.
Blacktown
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A petition signed by more than 11,000 residents in the decades-long fight for lifts at Doonside station was presented to State Parliament this week, but the government is yet to make any promises on future upgrades.
Blacktown state Labor MP Stephen Bali tabled the petition on Thursday before a packed public gallery of frustrated residents, kicking off a fiery debate between Liberal and Labor MPs.
The debate marked a major milestone in the ongoing campaign for accessibility upgrades at Doonside station, which has been continually overlooked for funding since it was first earmarked for improvements in 2011.
Mr Bali called on the State Government to commit to funding upgrades under the Transport Access Program, which prioritises station upgrades across the NSW train network.
Community frustrations were running high after Doonside was last year dropped from the program altogether and missed out on funding in this year’s State Budget.
“This government has not only cancelled the funding, but also relegated Doonside onto the never-never list,” Mr Bali said.
“The transport department ranked Doonside 14th in the state in need for an easy access upgrade.
“The Auditor‑General also ranked Doonside highly, yet the Liberal-Nationals Government has put politics ahead of people and rejected Doonside station time after time, year after year.
“What the Government has done is a complete disgrace. It has cancelled, cancelled, cancelled. It talks about access for all — except those who live in the Doonside area.”
Mr Bali said it was “absurd” the 27,000 residents living in the 2767 postcode – encompassing Doonside, Woodcroft, Bungarribee and Huntington Heights – were yet to receive a station upgrade despite smaller suburbs being prioritised.
Under the current round of the $2 billion scheme, stations in Waitara, Warrawee and Normanhurst have been slated for upgrades, despite the suburbs having populations less than a quarter of the size of Doonside.
Since the upgrade program began in 2011, more than 470 projects have been rolled out at stations across the state, including accessibility upgrades at close to 60 stations.
Transport and Roads parliamentary secretary Eleni Petinos said the government was working to improving access at train stations, but did not commit to upgrades at Doonside.
“Improved accessibility at Doonside station is being considered under an eight‑step assessment process using evidence‑based criteria,” Ms Petinos said.
She said stations were ranked according to a set of criteria, including Opal data, demographics and predicted growth.
“The station’s proximity to schools and hospitals is also considered as those factors would generate a higher demand for accessible transport. The commercial potential of each station is then evaluated,” she said.
Opposition leader Jodi McKay reaffirmed Labor’s promise to deliver on lifts for Doonside, if the party comes to power at the next election.
“I confirm that in 2023 if we are fortunate enough to be elected — and at this stage we are well on course to be elected — we will guarantee an upgrade to Doonside station,” Ms McKay said.
“This is a very important upgrade. The people of Doonside have been battling for it for so long.”
Speaking after the debate, Mr Bali said the petition was “as far as we can go as a community” and encouraged residents to continue the fight and write to the Transport Minister ahead of next year’s budget estimates.