Malcolm Turnbull wants to work with the New South Wales Government to have a rail line operating to the future Western Sydney Airport from day one.
Rail has been a major sticking point in discussions over an airport at Badgerys Creek for some time. The Coalition Government has planned for a rail-ready facility should be built, but believes an actual rail line will not be necessary from day one. Qantas boss Alan Joyce has supported this argument, suggesting passenger forecasts did not justify a rail link from opening day.
But the Opposition – in a campaign led by shadow infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese – has argued for a rail line from day one, suggesting such a line is needed to set the new airport up for success, and will support employment growth in Western Sydney.
Turnbull, who has had a strong public transport focus since he took over leadership from former PM Tony Abbott towards the end of 2015, made his intentions clear on Friday.
Speaking with Sydney’s 702 radio host Wendy Harmer, the prime minister said he wanted the state and federal governments to investigate an earlier rail option.
“[The airport] needs to have very good transport links,” Turnbull said.
“We’ve already committed $2.9 billion together with $700 million from the state government to ensure that there is a road network there.
“But it is plain that there will need to be more rail in Western Sydney, and not just to the new airport. Rail adds value, it reduces the congestion…”
Turnbull said traffic forecasts for the airport said there would not be enough demand at the airport to justify a rail link until the 2040s, and reminded the audience that the current plans involve construction of station boxes under the airport’s terminals, to enable the later installation of a pair of rail lines.
“We’re making the airport … ready for rail to be installed,” he said.
“But we believe we should be more ambitious.
“And what we are doing is working with the State Government to see how we can bring the rail to the airport and more rail to Western Sydney much sooner, ideally when the airport opens.”
The prime minister went on to suggest the state and federal ministers should investigate the potential of value-capture, to help fund the line.
“We’ve got to be innovative in the way we approach this,” Turnbull explained.
“We’ve got to recognise that rail adds an enormous amount of value to property, it enables greater amenity, greater development, greater density, more housing, more affordable housing, and all of, some of that value should be captured to fund the new rail.
“We’ve got to take a much more – a modern and innovative approach to funding urban infrastructure.
“Budgets are strained, both State and Federal, we know that, so we’ve got to look at investing in our cities as as much an economic exercise as anything else.
“I’m very confident that we will find a way to bring the rail to the airport and to Western Sydney.”
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