Multi-billion dollar Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan unveiled
News Release Urbanalyst
21 April 2014
Multi-billion dollar Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan unveiled
The Australian and New South Wales governments last week said they are delivering on a plan to build a stronger and more prosperous Western Sydney by investing more than $1 billion over the forward estimates and $3.5 billion over 10 years in major infrastructure upgrades that aim to transform the region’s economy.
The new plan involves transport links to capitalise on the economic gains from developing a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek, as well as to relieve pressure on existing infrastructure and unlock the economic capacity of the region by easing congestion, reducing travel times and creating thousands of local jobs.
The Australian and NSW Governments will jointly fund the road infrastructure plan through an 80/20 funding split. This investment in roads is expected to create 4,000 jobs in addition to the tens of thousands of jobs that are expected to be created by the new airport.
“Western Sydney is already Australia’s third largest economy and in its own right would be our fourth largest city. Over the next 20 years, the region is expected to grow from two million to three million, which is why both governments are fast-tracking development of new and existing infrastructure,” Prime Minister Tony Abbot said in a statement last week
The plan features significant upgrades to major and local roads including:
- Bringelly Road – upgrade to four lanes from Camden Valley Way to the Northern Road;
- The Northern Road – upgrade to a minimum of four lanes from Narellan to M4 Motorway;
- Elizabeth Drive Corridor – construction of a new four lane motorway from the M7 Motorway to the Northern Road;
- Improve interchanges connecting Northern Road and Elizabeth Drive with arterial roads; and
- A $200 million local roads package.
“The strong cooperation between both governments means the first contracts for Bringelly Road are expected to be put to tender in July with planning on The Northern Road also substantially progressed,” Mr Abbott said.
The upgrades seek to increase the capacity of the region to handle future traffic growth; improve accessibility to the M7 and M4 motorways; significantly reduce travel times; and improve the safety performance of Western Sydney’s road network.
The Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Jamie Briggs, and NSW Minister for Roads and Ports, Duncan Gay, will have responsibility to drive the infrastructure plan and to plan and prioritise funding of existing projects.
They will also be responsible for future projects to be funded at later stages of the programme, including a link from the M4 to the Airport, Prospect Highway, Moorebank Precinct and Werrington Arterial.
Work will also begin immediately to reserve a corridor for a future extension of the South West Rail Link to the Airport and to the South West Growth Centre. Enabling work, including a station box for a future rail link, will be completed during construction of the airport.