Coalition matches $1b cash splash on south-west Sydney rail

The announcement means, no matter who wins the election, major work will start taking place for new rail links in Sydney’s south-west.

• ‘Half baked’: Local leaders take aim at PM’s pledge

A $1 billion Albanese Government cash splash to start buying up land along future train lines in south-west Sydney will be matched by the Coalition, while Premier Chris Minns confirmed his cash-strapped state wouldn’t chip in as it focuses on finishing major Metro projects currently on its hands.

Coalition Treasury spokesman Angus Taylor confirmed his party would also put $1b towards the preserving future rail corridors linking the Bradfield aerotropolis to Leppington and Macarthur, after Anthony Albanese unveiled the move on Thursday.

It came as Mr Minns hosed down speculation the $1b boost would supercharge the project, ruling out the state government matching their federal counterpart’s funding.

“We don’t have the funds to do that at the moment. These are really long term plans for the future of Sydney…in order to get going on these projects, you do have to preserve the corridor (and) get the land acquisitions going, so that’s good news,” he said.

“We’ve got a massive job ahead of us delivering what we’ve already promised, and that’s got to be our focus.”

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Coalition matching Labor’s $1b for south-west rail comes after they committed the same amount of funding to upgrading Fifteenth Avenue between Liverpool and the new western Sydney airport, in a project first announced by Labor.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pledge to funnel a billion dollars into a rail link between southwest Sydney and the new Western Sydney airport has been met with a mix of suspicion and praise as the election looms.

Local leaders took aim at Mr Albanese after he announced the selective, timely funding splash at the 2025 Airport City Summit on Thursday morning.

Liverpool City Mayor Ned Mannoun said the man who inspired the aerotropolis namesake, Dr John Bradfield, would “be turning in his grave” if he knew “half of Sydney” was not connected to the airport.

Mr Mannoun said the $1bn funding splash still fails to connect Fifteenth Avenue to Bradfield city, leaving Liverpool residents with “half-baked” promises.

“Anyone who has seen Fifteenth Avenue we’ll see it is an absolute mess. When the airport opens. It’s only going to get worse,” he said.

“You’re going to have thousands of people who are going to work at the airport all driving their cars, the airport is going to become a sea of parking lots, they have no way of getting there.

“(Dr John) Bradfield will be turning in his grave knowing that half of Sydney can’t get there.”

Originally published as Coalition matches $1b cash splash on south-west Sydney rail