The people of Western Sydney are finally getting a fair go after being treated as an economic afterthought by ­policymakers for far too long. The Australian government is putting an end to Labor’s investment vacuum by delivering a ­record $3.5 billion roads package over 10 years in Western Sydney that will create at least 4000 jobs in addition to other economic spin-offs and slash drive times for local residents.

This historic investment includes the construction of new motorways and upgrades to existing infrastructure which will support a new airport at Badgerys Creek, boosting the local economy and making Western Sydney an even better place to live and do business.

As Australia’s third largest economy and in its own right our fourth largest city, Western Sydney needs the infrastructure of the 21st century to unlock its economic potential so local residents have more employment ­opportunities closer to home and can enjoy the quality of life they deserve.

As Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said on numerous occasions, we want people to spend less time stuck in traffic and more time being productive at work or at home with their families.

That is why we are fast-tracking infrastructure development in Western Sydney so the 200,000 people that have to leave the region for work every day can do so more quickly and safely or, alternatively, have access to more employment opportunities closer to home.

Our infrastructure plan will deliver significant upgrades to major and local roads including widening of Bringelly and The Northern Rds, construction of a new four lane motorway between the M7 and the Northern Rd, upgrades to key interchanges and a $200 million package to upgrade local roads.

These projects will 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.

Both the Australian and NSW governments are serious about building these vital economic road projects quickly, which is why ­construction work has been fast-tracked to commence this year with the first ­contracts for Bringelly Rd expected to be put to tender in July and planning on The Northern Rd also substantially progressed.

I will continue to work closely with NSW Minister for Roads and Freight Duncan Gay to plan and prioritise funding of current projects and consider future projects for later stages of the program.

Unlike the previous Labor government, when we make promises we get on with the job of delivering them. Not only are contracts being put out to tender and planning is well underway, we are already actively engaging ­residents and businesses to ensure they have the opportunity to add value to the roll-out of this significant ­infrastructure investment.

In the past two weeks my local federal and state parliamentary colleagues and I have hosted a number of information sessions with key stakeholders from local government, business, tourism, education and health sectors.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with University of Western Sydney Vice Chancellor Barney Glover welcoming the long overdue infrastructure investment: “The ­framing of these commitments around employment and economic priorities ­confirms both levels of ­government understand the region’s capacity.’’

The Australian government’s investment in Western Sydney’s future is a key pillar of our broader economic action strategy and builds on significant commitments we’ve already made, including $1.5 billion towards building WestConnex and developing the Moorebank intermodal terminal.

These commitments, coupled with our responsible management of the Budget will ensure Western Sydney gets a fair go and grows into one of the economic powerhouses of Australia.

Source: The Daily Telegraph by Jamie Briggs. Original article. Jamie Briggs is Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development