SMH NEWS 3 October 2012. NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and NSW Tressure Mike Baird walking along the M4 in the afternoon inspecting congestion on the M4. Photo: Carlos Furtado/FCNIMG_1015.JPG
Busy afternoon traffic of Sydney's streets and freeways. Generic. Traffic Jams, Cars, Gridlock, approaching the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Trucks, Heavy Vehicles, etc... Photo: Quentin Jones. 15 March, 2011.
SMH NEWS 3 October 2012. NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and NSW Tressure Mike Baird walking along the M4 in the afternoon inspecting congestion on the M4. Photo: Carlos Furtado/FCNIMG_1015.JPG
Busy afternoon traffic of Sydney's streets and freeways. Generic. Traffic Jams, Cars, Gridlock, approaching the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Trucks, Heavy Vehicles, etc... Photo: Quentin Jones. 15 March, 2011.
THE long-awaited Infrastructure NSW report has put the brakes on the proposed light rail network around Parramatta and says connections between western and eastern Sydney are a greater priority.
The 20-year State Infrastructure Strategy says Parramatta Council's "Western Sydney Light Rail proposal is based on sound long term objectives". But rather than invest in the $9.5 billion project, the report says "an immediate solution is enhancement of bus services" along existing roads.
The council estimated the initial stage of the light rail network would cost $3b to link Parramatta, Castle Hill, Bankstown and Epping or Macquarie Park. And a second stage with an additional 105 kilometres would cost $6.5b.
But the report presented by Infrastructure NSW chairman Nick Greiner does not share the council's faith in the network's benefits.
"To justify an investment of this scale there would need to be some confidence that it would address the key constraints to greater employment growth in Parramatta," it says.
"It's Infrastructure NSW's view [that] a more fundamental constraint is the connectivity of Parramatta to global Sydney, and, more broadly, Sydney's west to Sydney's international gateways."
In his response to the report, Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Barry O'Farrell refused to comment on the light rail network.
Mr O'Farrell has repeatedly deflected questions about his support for the light rail network, saying he would wait until the Infrastructure NSW report was tabled.