City Deal for Western Sydney to halt ‘commuter exodus’

MALCOLM Turnbull has signed a new “deal” that aims to stop the “extraordinary commuter exodus” from our city’s suburbs.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks to the media at Oran Park Town in Sydney. Picture: Stefan Postles/Getty Images

MALCOLM Turnbull has signed a new “deal” for western Sydney that aims to stop the region’s “extraordinary commuter exodus”.

Thirty per cent of western Sydney residents, more than 200,000 people, have to travel outside of the area for work, often to Sydney’s CBD and central suburbs.

Mr Turnbull’s “City Deal for Western Sydney”, announced this morning in conjunction with the NSW Baird Liberal government, aims to stop the exodus.

“My goal is to have a 30-minute city,” Mr Turnbull today said in Oran Park, near Campbelltown.

“Now, I hasten to add, that does not mean that you would expect to be able to get from Hornsby to Cronulla in 30 minutes.

“What it means is that wherever you live in Sydney — or in any city in Australia — there should be, within a reasonable commute, a good, wide range of jobs, a wide range of educational opportunities and recreational opportunities.

“In other words, to stop that extraordinary commuter exodus that you see here from western Sydney every day, over 200,000 people.”

Malcolm Turnbull wants to stop the daily exodus of people from western Sydney.

Mr Turnbull said the deal would mean “a more liveable city, greater amenity, more jobs”.

The policy will be centred on Sydney’s proposed second airport in Badgerys Creek and passenger rail that will link people to the jobs created around the airport.

The new airport alone will create 39,000 new jobs over the next 20 years, but the Coalition says this will be boosted by an additional 178,000 new homes and 200,000 new jobs that will be required to support the population around the airport, which is projected to reach more than 1.4 million over this period.

“The airport presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for long-term growth in western Sydney which will only be realised with tight co-ordination and integrated planning across all three levels of governments,” Mr Turnbull said.

“It means the economic heart of Sydney is moving west.”

Malcolm Turnbull on the campaign trail in the seat of Macarthur, held by Liberal MP Russell Matheson by a margin of 3.3 per cent. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Meanwhile, Australia’s clean energy bank will set aside $100 million each year for energy efficiency and renewables.

The new investment fund within the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation will deploy value-for-money clean energy and power-saving technologies to cities.

“That could include better lighting, it could include better traffic management, it could include better water management,” Mr Turnbull told reporters.

— with AAP