Alliance rails over jobs delay

EARLY figures commissioned by the Western Sydney Rail Alliance show nearly 165,000 Western Sydney jobs could be created by a north-south rail link to the future Badgerys Creek airport.

Pictured is the Western Sydney Corridor Draft Concept, supplied by the Western Sydney Rail Alliance.

• Move too fast track rapid rail line to Badgerys Creek
• Council demands government funding for road, rail upgrades
• Demand for infrastructure, health backlog to be funded for Western Sydney suburbs

EARLY figures commissioned by the Western Sydney Rail Alliance show nearly 165,000 Western Sydney jobs could be created by a north south rail link to the future Badgerys Creek airport.

“We’re talking about paying for a big chunk of the train line through development levies — all we’re asking from this (Federal) Government is to prioritise the project,” alliance chairman Christopher Brown said.

But while the report by Deloitte/Arup will be ready in a few weeks, a joint NSW/Federal Government scoping study of the rail needs for Western Sydney looks months away.

Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue chairman Christopher Brown, pictured at a 2015 dialogue meeting, said: “I think we can move quickly to (north south rail line) development.” Picture: Richard Dobson

“A discussion paper, slated for release in July, marking options for the corridors, stations and urban development along the routes will, as a result of the federal election campaign, be released later this year,” a spokesman for the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, Paul Fletcher, told the Penrith Press.

Mr Brown said he was disappointed by the delay.

“We have a 200,000 jobs deficit in the region and all policy priorities must be towards this employment challenge,” Mr Brown said.

“Delaying the delivery of (a rail) connection is a significant inhibitor to local job growth and broader regional economic prosperity.”

According to Deloitte Partner and report co-author, Theo Psychogios: “Preliminary analysis suggests construction of the (north south) rail line could create between 43,800 to 65,800 direct jobs and up to 98,600 indirect jobs.”

This is on top of the 7600 jobs the Australian Government predicts will be created during construction of the airport, to begin in the mid-2020s.

Alliance members, including Penrith Council, are pushing for a rail line linking the northwest and southwest growth areas, from the Sydney Metro Northwest (formerly the 36km North West Rail Link) at Rouse Hill station in the north, to Campbelltown in the south.

They insist roads to the airport just won’t cut it.

A crane going over Windsor Road at the site of the future Rouse Hill Town Centre train station.

“It (the line) needs to pick up the Sydney Science Park, the (Badgerys Creek) airport, the (Werrington and Campbelltown) universities,” Penrith Mayor, Mr Karen McKeown said.

“We need it now before any of the key infrastructure goes in, or you’ll end up like Kingsford-Smith — retrofitting a rail line.”

Council’s assistant general manager Craig Butler, who sits on the alliance’s steering committee, said: “The clues are St Marys will be a significant interchange on the (north south) line, which will connect to the (existing) Western Line.”

Mr Brown said, “We certainly need corridor protection but I think we can move quickly to development.

“We’re talking 40,000 extra jobs — smart, airport-generated jobs — in that corridor if we can link Western Sydney with Western Sydney Airport.”

Mr McKeown said if work on the line started sooner, than later, they could avoid tunnelling, creating a “significant” cost saving.

Both she and Mr Butler said it was still too early to speculate on whether trains on the line should be driverless single-deck trains, like on the Sydney Metro Northwest to which they want to connect.

According to Transport for NSW driverless single-deck trains can carry more people, and travel more quickly — every four minutes in the peak.

The Australian Government says more than 30,000 jobs will be generated directly by the airport’s operation by 2060, and another 30,000 indirect jobs would be created around the airport site.

It has committed $115 million to fund planning and preparation work for the Western Sydney Airport project in the 2016 budget.

Christopher Brown presented data from a report, commissioned by the alliance for $20,000, at last week’s CAPA Australian Pacific Aviation Summit in Brisbane.

“The (Deloitte/Arup) report will be our key piece of evidence for the economic survival of Western Sydney,” Penrith Mayor, Mr Karen McKeown said.

The Australian Government has pledged $2.9 billion over 10 years to major road and transport linkages with the proposed new airport.

Its Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan includes a new east-west M12 Motorway to the airport (between the M7 Motorway and The Northern Rd), construction of Werrington Arterial Rd, and $200 million for local roads upgrades.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten had promised, if elected, that his party would contribute $400 million towards building a rail link from north west to south west Sydney, taking in the proposed airport. The Australian Government has made no such promise.

“In Western Sydney we need an evidence-based approach to determine how the new airport is best connected to rail and whether an east west connection and a north south connection can be achieved,” agreed David Borger, The Western Sydney Director of the Sydney Business Chamber.

Like Penrith Council, Mr Borger believes Western Sydney is held back by lack of access to jobs and lack of investment in the region’s transport and infrastructure.

A map of the fast rail connecting Parramatta to the proposed airport and Sydney CBD, included in the Western Sydney Airport Fast Train Discussion Paper by Parramatta Council & Sydney Business Chamber.

Warren Truss (right) and Russell Matheson declaring Badgerys Creek at the official site for Western Sydney Airport, in August 2015. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“To date, there hasn’t been enough done to address the almost 300,000 people who leave town each day to travel to work,” he said.

His preference is for a fast rail link to Sydney’s second future airport via Parramatta.

Said Mr Brown: “We want to head off those prioritising fast rail to Sydney.

“If we want Badgerys Creek Airport to catalyse Western Sydney, we have to be able to get to Western Sydney Airport from Western Sydney.”

The Deloitte/Arup report indicates that the creation of a north south rail will activate new employment hubs in the region, particularly in the areas if health, education and innovation.

Penrith has a shortage of workers skilled in automotive and construction trades, and health and pharmaceutical professionals, according to the Penrith Employment Strategy 2007 — one of the documents being used to inform the Greater Sydney Commission’s district plans.

FAST FACTS

■ By 2050, Western Sydney will be home to 4 million people, 2 million workers and more than 250,000 businesses, according to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment

■ Currently more than 200,000 Western Sydney residents leave the region to find work every day. That’s expected to rise to 300,000 by 2031

■ The Greater Sydney Commission has been tasked the target of creating 200,000 great new jobs in Western Sydney by 2020

■ The Western Sydney Rail Alliance was formed in late 2015 to advocate for an integrated transport and planning solution that addresses the rapid development of Sydney’s northwest and southwest growth areas, along Sydney’s Innovation Corridor