The Western Sydney Business Chamber has applauded the start of major construction works for the first stage of Parramatta Light Rail and looks forward to announcements on the future of Stage 2.
The Western Sydney Business Chamber has been a vocal advocate for the development of Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 (Westmead to Carlingford) and Stage 2 (Rydalmere to Sydney Olympic Park) as a transformative project that will link the booming city of Parramatta with its neighbouring communities.
“We’ve been waiting for many years to see the concept of a Parramatta Light Rail network take shape and now in the next few months we will see the start of major works to start putting the tracks in the ground,” said David Borger, Executive Director of the Western Sydney Business Chamber.
“Public transport in Sydney has developed over the past 200 years as an ‘all roads lead to the Rome’ (Sydney CBD) affair. Parramatta Light Rail is about creating a backbone public transport network that has Sydney’s Central City of Parramatta at its core and establishes the city as a destination in its own right, not just a major commuter hub to travel to the east.
“The City of Parramatta is rapidly becoming a mature jobs market for the heart of Sydney and that means we need better and localised public transport to link the people of Western Sydney with these new accessible jobs. In a few short years, Parramatta will leapfrog North Sydney and Macquarie Park to be the second largest commercial office market in Sydney.”
Mr Borger said that the start of major works on Stage 1 should not be used as a distraction from the need to roll out the full Parramatta Light Rail network that includes the extension through Ermington, Melrose Park, Wentworth Point and on to Sydney Olympic Park.
“The NSW Government has been reluctant to commit to delivering on its promise of building the full Parramatta Light Rail network. It would be a tremendous shame to risk Stage 1 becoming a white elephant by not connecting it to the growing communities springing up along the shores of the Parramatta River,” said Mr Borger.
Mr Borger said Sydney’s leading peak industry bodies and the City of Parramatta along with 70 large organisations in Western Sydney wrote to the NSW Government last year endorsing the need for Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2.
