Turnbull pledges jobs and growth for Western Sydney in nation’s biggest planning and investment partnership

THE Federal Government will use the Badgerys Creek airport as catalyst for more jobs and better transport links between the region and the rest of Sydney Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks to the media during the Western Sydney City Deal announcement at the NSW Transport Management Centre. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

JOBS and growth were at the heart of the Turnbull Government’s pre-election commitment to the Western Sydney City Deal.

The City Deal was the Liberal Party’s major pledge to job growth and better transport links for Western Sydney prior to the Federal Election in July.

The Liberal Party said in June the Western Sydney City Deal would be the single largest planning and investment partnership in the nation’s history.

“The City Deal will be centred around Western Sydney Airport — the most significant piece of infrastructure that will ever be built in the region,” their website read.

“New airport alone will create 39,000 new jobs over the next 20 years, but we aim to do much better.”

The Liberal Party also pledged to create 178,000 new homes and almost 200,000 new jobs to support the estimated 1.4 million people moving into the airport region.

One of the proposed plans for linking the new airport in the west and the city.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said 30 per cent of Western Sydney workers had to travel outside of their area for work, often to the CBD and central suburbs.

“We will stop this commuter exodus and support Western Sydney to become an exemplar 30-minute city,” Mr Turnbull said.

“We will use the airport as a catalyst for regional jobs growth and better transport links between the region and the rest of Sydney.”

The Western Sydney City Deal is intended to be a collaborative partnership between Federal, State and Local Governments to realise Western Sydney’s potential through better infrastructure, employment, environmental and livability outcomes, and housing affordability.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said at the time the agreement would be an exemplar of community engagement.

“We welcome this vital initiative by the Turnbull government for Western Sydney and a commitment to ... infrastructure to realise the region’s potential,” Mr Baird said.

“This opportunity shows the value of governments with the shared goal of providing jobs and growth for Western Sydney working together to make it happen.”

The Memorandum of Understanding signed by Mr Turnbull and Mr Baird on October 21 committed to several principles in support of the City Deal.

These included an “ambitious plan to generate economic growth, jobs and housing, reduce travel times and improve environmental outcomes to (improve) people’s quality of life”.

FAST RAIL FROM BADGERYS CREEK TO THE CITY