The State Budget’s $400 million commitment to a Light Rail Network centred on Parramatta will revolutionise public transport in Western Sydney, Platinum Partner Parramatta City Council's Lord Mayor Cr John Chedid said today.

“This is fantastic news for Parramatta and Western Sydney, and a big vote of confidence in our Council’s plans for a light rail network linking Parramatta to key centres including Macquarie Park and the Hills district,” Cr Chedid said.

“I commend the Baird Government for this visionary move to help deliver modern 21^st Century public transport for Western Sydney residents and workers.

“Last week, the Government announced a $10 million feasibility study for the network.

“The Budget’s reservation of $400 million for the light rail network is a further sign of just how serious the Government is about delivering much-needed new transport infrastructure for our region.

“The Light Rail Network will bring more jobs to Western Sydney, cater for our growing population and reduce traffic congestion by making it easier for residents and workers to leave their cars at home.

“As Lord Mayor, I have been campaigning for this project for several years. Our Council has conducted a detailed feasibility study which shows the project is viable at a total cost of $1.5 billion.

“The network will link two of the nation’s fastest growing CBDs, Parramatta and Macquarie Park, and also the Hills district, which supplies 60 per cent of Parramatta’s workforce.”         

Cr Chedid said the network would be fast and frequent, with services coming every 10 minutes and every five minutes for stops within the Parramatta CBD.

“It will address the two main challenges facing Western Sydney: creating jobs and catering for a fast growing population. By 2031, the network will support 180,000 jobs and 50,000 homes,” he said.  

“Our Council’s feasibility study has identified potential stops and routes along the network, which consists of two lines – the Macquarie Park Line and the Castle Hill Line.

“The Macquarie Park Line will connect Westmead, Cumberland Hospital, through Parramatta CBD, the University of Western Sydney, Dundas, Eastwood and Macquarie Park.

“From Parramatta, the Castle Hill Line follows Windsor Road, to Baulkham Hills and through the Castle Hill Trading Zone to Castle Hill and an interchange to the North West Rail Link.

“Both lines travel between Rydalmere and North Parramatta, across Parramatta CBD. This will strengthen the connections between employment and education, and support Parramatta’s growth.

“Our study recommends that the Macquarie Line be constructed first as it is expected to have strong patronage throughout the day and evening, from students and health workers at Westmead and the University of Western Sydney.”

Cr Chedid also welcomed the other Budget initiatives including extra funding for Western Sydney hospitals, more public service jobs for Western Sydney and the commitment to the M9 motorway project, which will ease traffic congestion by linking the Central Coast with the Illawarra. 

Madon Labib, 18, Marina Aboud, 18, and Eyleia Saleeb, 17, ride a Waratah train with Premier Mike Baird / Picture: Bradley Hunter Source: News Corp Australia

A VISION for light rail from Parramatta up to Castle Hill and Ryde and possibly down to Bankstown has been backed by Premier Mike Baird, who will commit at least $10 million to a feasibility study for the project.

In a major win for The Daily Telegraph’s Fair Go For The West campaign, Mr Baird will tonight ­announce funding for the report into the light rail project, which he described as “about as exciting as you can have”.

He also labelled the “north-south” route through Sydney as the “missing link” with the government already working on projects aimed at bringing people from the West to the CBD.

In taking on the project, Mr Baird plans to explore work done by Parramatta City Council, which has already costed the project at $1.7 billion.

Under the council’s proposal, one line would operate from Westmead through Parramatta to Eastwood and to Macquarie Park.

Another line would run from Parramatta to Castle Hill. All up, there would be 30km of track with hopes in the future of adding a Parramatta-to- Bankstown line.

Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian has previously flagged a potential light rail line west of Parramatta and the state opposition has also committed to funding a feasibility study on the project if elected.

“You’ve got improved arteries ... that funnel into the CBD but the north to south is the missing link from a public transport point of view,” Mr Baird said.

“I think it (the light rail proposal) is about as exciting as you can have from a transport point of view . . and I think Parramatta Council’s done very well to do the legwork on this.

“They’ve been constructive ... we want to pick the ball up and now do it properly ... we’re going to measure the full feasibility of the light rail.”

Mr Baird said a key issue raised at the Daily Telegraph’s Fair Go For The West Youth Forum, also “raised by business and community groups ... is the transport going north to south”.

He promised to get on with the study “straight away” and wanted it completed “as quickly as possible”.

“We will crack on with it,” the Premier said, and did not rule out having the study complete in time for the election campaign.

“The initial work done seems to suggest that light rail (has) got a capacity . . in terms of patronage. It could provide an opportunity for the private sector to participate, that is what the feasibility study will look at as well.”

Any construction of a light rail would follow the construction of inner west light rail and planned construction of city light rail through the city and out to Randwick and Kingsford in Sydney’s south east.

Source: The Daily Telegraph by Andrew Clennell.  Original Article.

Our proposed long-term lease of 49 per cent of the State’s electricity network businesses will keep downward pressure on electricity prices through ongoing price regulation and applying strict conditions to the transaction.

These conditions include a guaranteed discount on electricity network prices by one per cent off the forecast regulated prices until 2019, and that the transaction will have no adverse impact on electricity reliability.

Network prices will continue to be subject to regulation by the Australian Energy Regulator and standards such as reliability and safety will continue to be enforced through licences.

An independent report prepared by Ernst & Young has confirmed NSW households have been paying significantly more in network costs than customers in Victoria and South Australia since those states privatised their assets in the 1990s.

Ernst & Young found that while costs in Victoria and South Australia had fallen in real terms, NSW network costs had risen by 122 per cent.

The NSW Government will unlock $20 billion in infrastructure funding, including $6 billion for regional NSW, by undertaking a long-term lease of 49 per cent of the “poles and wires” network businesses, NSW Premier Mike Baird announced.

For Sydney, the centrepiece of the plan will be a new Sydney Rapid Transit line, including a second harbour rail crossing and extending the North West Rail Link through the CBD and beyond to Bankstown.

In the regions, among other projects, Rebuilding NSW will support a Regional Roads Fund and a Regional Water Fund, each worth at least $1 billion.

“Rebuilding NSW will turbocharge productivity and improve the daily lives of families right across the State,” Mr Baird said.

“We all know we live in the greatest state in the greatest country on earth, but we also know, as a community, that a number of significant challenges have built up over time.

“Our roads and rail networks, our schools and hospitals, and our water infrastructure have not kept up with our growing population.

“Now we are seeing the consequences, particularly in the area of transport.

“Both our quality of life – the time we are able to spend with family and friends – and the productivity of our workplaces is suffering.

“I am simply not prepared to let these problems fester, so that they drag down our economy and pose even greater challenges for our children and grandchildren.

“Infrastructure NSW will now be asked to re-cast the State Infrastructure Strategy, ensuring that every corner of the State benefits from Rebuilding NSW – including the Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra.”

Mr Baird said highlights of Rebuilding NSW, in addition to Sydney Rapid Transit and the Regional Roads and Water Funds, include:

• Sydney Roads Renewal, which will include two new WestConnex extensions to the north and south, as well as projects to support the Northern beaches and inner west;
  
• A Schools and Hospitals Building Fund, worth at least $2 billion;
  
• A Sports and Cultural Fund worth at least $500 million.
  

Mr Baird said Rebuilding NSW would be funded through a 99-year lease of 49 per cent of the state-owned network companies.

Strict conditions on the lease would include:

• All net proceeds will be invested in new productive infrastructure;
  
• Electricity network prices will be discounted by 1 per cent off the forecast regulated prices until 2019;
  
• The jobs of permanent award employees will be protected and treated consistently with previous transactions;
  
• The transaction will have no adverse impact on electricity reliability; and
  
• The regional presence of the network businesses will be maintained.
  

See Rebuilding NSW for more information.

Source: www.nsw.gov.au . Original Article.

Public transport in Sydney will experience a massive boost with new rail and light rail projects to help ease congestion across the city.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said urban congestion had frustrated everyone in Sydney for decades.

“Clogged roads and crowded trains are like a heavy, wet blanket sitting on our lives,” Mr Baird said.

“Whether commuting to work or heading out to enjoy this great city, we all want to get there quicker.”

The two new projects join additional Sydney bus services, as well as a long list of substantial improvements to the city’s public transport options.

New rail network

A proposed new 30km Sydney Rapid Transit (SRT) rail network will extend the North West Rail Link, delivering a new rail line under Sydney Harbour, through the CBD and on to Bankstown.

The SRT will benefit commuters by delivering:

• Less crowding across the network.
  
• Three new underground CBD train stations to reduce crowding at Wynyard and Town Hall.
  
• A train every two minutes through the city.
  
• Up to 30 trains every hour in each direction with 98% reliability.
  
• More express trains from Penrith, Parramatta and Blacktown to the city.
  
• A turn up and go service, meaning no need for timetables.
• Mr Baird said funding for the SRT would come from the long-term lease of the State’s electricity and transmission businesses.

“The expected $20 billion in proceeds will be recycled to turbocharge the delivery of key infrastructure projects, like the SRT, that would otherwise be decades away,” Mr Baird said.

The NSW Government will also begin working on the multi-billion dollar Western Sydney Rail upgrade. This includes improving frequency by upgrading the signalling and power supply to allow trains to travel closer together, and building additional track to enable more express trains.

More light rail

Sydney will see more light rail, following the formal planning approval of the $1.6 billion new CBD and South East Light project.

The project will transform Sydney by linking Circular Quay, Central, Randwick and Kingsford, and also deliver over $4 billion worth of economic benefits and create 10,000 jobs in NSW.

This light rail service is expected to be running by 2020.

The Government is also investigating the feasibility of a light rail network for Western Sydney.

More buses

The CBD and South East light rail approval comes as Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian also announced 33 new buses, 360 extra bus services and a new bus route for South West Sydney.

More improvements

The new light rail and bus options join a list of current and future additions to Sydney’s transport system, such as:

• Almost 6,500 extra bus services across Sydney since March 2011.
  
• Opening the Inner West Light Rail extension in March 2014, including 9 new stops.
  
• Implementing Opal electronic public transport ticketing throughout NSW to speed up commutes.
  
• The $2.8 billion future fleet of intercity trains (around 65 new trains) to carry passengers from Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle, Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
  
• The South West Rail Link, delivering rail services to one of Sydney’s fastest growing areas.
  
• The $8.3 billion North West Rail Link, delivering 8 new railway stations to Sydney’s growing North West.
  
• Six new ferries for Sydney.
  
• A Wynyard Station upgrade in Sydney’s CBD will help move thousands more train commuters every week.
  

Source: www.nsw.gov.au. Original Story.

The NSW Government is considering changes to light vehicle registration, and would like your feedback.

The proposed reforms include the following:

Passenger vehicles: changing the new vehicle registration charge from one based on vehicle weight, to also include vehicle safety and environmental criteria. Safety would be determined by the vehicle’s ANCAP rating and the environmental component by the vehicle’s emissions;

Motorcycles: changing the current flat registration charge to include incentives to purchase motorcycles with lower power-to-weight ratios, and fitted with Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS);

Caravans and light trailers: reducing the registration charge for light trailers and caravans that currently pay weight tax, and introducing charges for light trailers that pay no weight tax; and

'Continuous’ registration: offering an automated, continuous registration option via online monthly direct debit or credit - effectively providing registration with no expiry date.

Changes to stamp duty and CTP insurance charges as complementary measures to provide additional pricing incentives to consumers to purchase safer and greener vehicles.

The proposed changes would apply to new passenger vehicles, new motorcycles, and to all caravans and light trailers.

Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has prepared a public Discussion Paper and Summary Paper describing the reforms. 

To provide feedback, you can: 

• ·         take a few seconds to complete the quick poll (below)
• ·         make a submission 
• ·         take a few minutes to complete the: passenger vehicle survey; motorcycle survey; caravan and light trailer survey

Di Bartok, Parramatta Advertiser

Click here to view online article

With being a “westie” now “a badge of honour”, Western Sydney businesses gathered to hear how to attract and keep one of the biggest workforces in the country, at a Parramatta lunch today.

Deputy editor of the Daily Telegraph Ben English used his experience as driver of the Fair Go for The West campaign to inspire employers at Western Sydney Business Connection’s What’s Driving Employment in GWS lunch at the ParkRoyal.

Mr English was keynote speaker along with demographer Mark McCrindle, leading the way into a panel discussion involving workplace specialists from Matthew Folbigg, Fay Calderone and Stewart Gough; TAFE NSW strategic projects director Ron Wright and Greg Travers from William Buck Chartered Accountants. Mr English said he discovered during the NewsCorp/NewsLocal/Channel 7 Fair Go for the West campaign that people in the greater west were proud. “People in the west are proud of their area and as we went around the area we found they wanted to celebrate what was already great about the west,” Mr English said. Mr McCrindle confirmed what everyone in the room suspected — that greater Western Sydney was continuing to grow at a faster rate than Sydney city.

Mr McCrindle said the west was the “fastest growing region, in the fastest growing state in the fastest growing OECD country” and that presented challenges for employers, to attract and retain staff.

“There is a higher proportion of the younger generations in Western Sydney. In Sydney, one in four people are under 20 years, in the west, it is one in three,” he said.

Ms Calderone said younger people appreciated flexible working arrangements, the right balance between work and family life and being rewarded for their loyalty in non-monetary ways.

Ben English and NSW Premier Mike Baird — Champions of the West Ceremony at Rooty Hill RSL. Picture Craig Greenhill Source: News Corp Australia 

WITH being a “westie” now “a badge of honour”, Western Sydney businesses gathered to hear how to attract and keep one of the biggest workforces in the country, at a Parramatta lunch today.

Deputy editor of the Daily Telegraph Ben English used his experience as driver of the Fair Go for The West campaign to inspire employers at Western Sydney Business Connection’s What’s Driving Employment in GWS lunch at the ParkRoyal.

Mr English was keynote speaker along with demographer Mark McCrindle, leading the way into a panel discussion involving workplace specialists from Matthew Folbigg, Fay Calderone and Stewart Gough; TAFE NSW strategic projects director Ron Wright and Greg Travers from William Buck Chartered Accountants. Mr English said he discovered during the NewsCorp/NewsLocal/Channel 7 Fair Go for the West campaign that people in the greater west were proud. “People in the west are proud of their area and as we went around the area we found they wanted to celebrate what was already great about the west,” Mr English said. Mr McCrindle confirmed what everyone in the room suspected undefined that greater Western Sydney was continuing to grow at a faster rate than Sydney city.

Mr McCrindle said the west was the “fastest growing region, in the fastest growing state in the fastest growing OECD country” and that presented challenges for employers, to attract and retain staff.

“There is a higher proportion of the younger generations in Western Sydney. In Sydney, one in four people are under 20 years, in the west, it is one in three,” he said.

Ms Calderone said younger people appreciated flexible working arrangements, the right balance between work and family life and being rewarded for their loyalty in non-monetary ways.

Source: Parramatta Advertiser by Di Bartok. Original Article.