Since being named one of Infrastructure Australia’s (IA) nine ‘priority’ projects in the latest Federal Budget, Sydney’s West Metro project has received a fresh round of criticism.
By Jennifer Perry
| Click here to view a video extract from NSW Minister for Transport David Campbell’s presentation at Transport Infrastructure Australia |
Having reportedly been branded as “ill-conceived” the NSW Government’s West Metro plans have attracted $91 million in Federal funding, the equivalent of just over one per cent of the Building Australia Fund (BAF).
However, in its own words IA foreshadowed some of the recent criticism in its National Infrastructure Priorities Report.
“Whilst the metros  [CBD and West Metro] are promising projects, particular issues, e.g. alignments, service patterns and integration with surrounding networks, need to be considered further in conjunction with the NSW Government,” the report states.
According to Mark Carter, a rail industry commentator for more than 20 years and Rail Express Viewpoint columnist, the media criticism of the NSW Government is fair.
“NSW thought they would get more than $91 million in the Federal Budget though the fact is that their forward planning just wasn’t advanced enough – the Federal Government wasn’t prepared to commit more because compared to other States’ rail proposals, the lines just weren’t on the map.”
By contrast, the Victorian Government was rewarded with $3.2 billion for its Regional Rail Express because its submission to IA reportedly demonstrated a carefully planned long-term strategy to tackle congestion in Melbourne.
Carter said that NSW has an “atrocious” track record when it comes to urban rail projects.
“Everybody recognises that Sydney needs some serious public transport solutions, no one is denying that – but the Government keep changing their minds.”
With an estimated cost of $8.3 billion, the West Metro is planned to link the 7 kilometre CBD Metro rail line – that will run between Sydney’s central areas and Rozelle – with Parramatta. The West Metro is expected to be underground for the majority of the route while there will be particular stations where it will connect with the existing heavy rail network, there are no plans to follow existing heavy rail lines, a Sydney Metro spokesperson said.
The $91 million Federal investment is to “advance” the West Metro to the next stage. Specifically, funding is for pre-construction, engineering and design work which will take the West Metro to an advanced stage of planning and ensure the project is “ready to go” with major construction contracts, according to NSW Minister for Transport David Campbell.
A $30 million joint feasibility study into the West Metro by the State and Federal Governments and led by the Sydney Metro Authority is already taking place. Campbell said this study includes detailed engineering, architectural, infrastructure, geotechnical and other investigations.
“The next phase of the study, which is currently being finalised, will recommend a preferred alignment and station locations for the West Metro,” the Sydney Metro spokesperson said.
Campbell told Rail Express that the Metro is the “future of Sydney” and the NSW Government is “getting on” with delivering the spine of this system – the CBD Metro. But Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon said there are “growing doubts” about how the Metro would fit with Sydney’s current rail system and Premier Rees should “come to his senses” on transport planning.
“Metro will have a future in this city when the north-west and south-west heavy rail lines are completed. They must be the priorities of any NSW Government,” she said.
Carter said that the $91 million is still an “awful lot of money” and that you’ve “got to hope” that a Federal Government budgetary commitment such as this would not be thrown at something that “isn’t going to happen.”
IA will be working with the NSW Government to develop a robust long-term plan for the development of Sydney’s public transport network, including suggested staging options and potential land use changes with outputs from the plan informing future reviews of the IA priority list.
 
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