$600m for Parramatta Light Rail stage two to be confirmed in state budget

A “stage 2” plan to extend the Parramatta’s Light Rail to Olympic Park will get $600 million in this month’s budget, with the government pledging to back the “mega project”. See the planned route

A plan to extend the Parramatta Light Rail to Olympic Park will get $600 million in this month’s budget, after Premier Dominic Perrottet declared his government will push ahead with Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2.

The $602.4 million commitment, confirmed on Wednesday by the Premier, will pay for preliminary works including an environmental-impact statement.

The figure was first mentioned a since-deleted tweet from Premier Dominic Perrottet’s account.

Mr Perrottet later told reporters he had no knowledge of the tweet before later confirming the funding.

The money has been pledged for the project in the upcoming state budget, with more funding to be committed when it becomes clear how much it will cost to build.

Minister Transport David Elliott, Premier Dominic Perrottet, Minister Roads Natalie Ward, Treasurer Matt Kean, Minister Infrastructure Rob Stokes and Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee announce the commitment to Parramatta Light Rail Stage Two. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Premier Perrottet said the June 21 budget would see a “substantial contribution” towards the project, with funding to go towards the first stage of the development including building a bridge over the Parramatta River.

An artist’s impression of the stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail. Picture: City of Parramatta

Stages 1 and 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail.

An artist’s impression of the stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail, near Carter St.

Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee and Premier Dominic Perrottet at a press conference for the Parramatta Light rail stage 2 funding on Wednesday morning. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Transport Minister David Elliott also confirmed there would be a “local component” to the trams on the second stage for after pledging the final business case would consider Aussie-made vehicles on the rail.

“We have as a government committed now to this project, and that will be evident on June 21,” he said.

Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes said the second stage of the light rail would be the next “mega project” that gets the tick from government, as other major projects like the Beaches Link are put on ice.

An artist’s impression of the stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail.

An artist’s impression of the stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail.

“Today as the Premier and Treasurer have indicated, we are selecting one particular mega project which we are determined to deliver for the people of Western Sydney and that‘s Parramatta light rail stage two,” he said.

The commitment from the government comes the day after a report from independent government body Infrastructure NSW recommended delaying the major development, as part of a raft of massive projects on the state government’s to-do list.

The funding is the most substantial development on the 12-kilometre extension and comes after almost 10 years of promises, dating back to 2014 and involving more than a dozen announcements or re-announcements regarding the link to Sydney Olympic Park.

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said the commitment would be a “game-changer for the Olympic peninsula”, which is set to welcome tens of thousands of new residents in the coming decade.

“It’ll be a high density peninsula … the project will provide certainty for the whole community,” he said.

Originally published as $600m for Parramatta Light Rail stage two to be confirmed in state budget