NSW:NSW govt promises are rehashed: oppn

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2011
NSW:NSW govt promises are rehashed: oppn

By Belinda Merhab

SYDNEY, Feb 17 AAP - A NSW government promise to build two rail lines in western Sydney
is rehashed policy that can't be believed, the opposition says.

Transport Minister John Robertson released the government's Better Public Transport
policy in Sydney on Thursday, announcing that a re-elected Labor government would be committed
to building the Parramatta to Epping rail link.

Labor would deliver 6000 extra seats an hour during peak hours from western Sydney
to the CBD through the construction of the Western Express and City Relief lines, he said.

Public transport fares would be capped to the rate of the Consumer Price Index under
the government's Fairness for Families policy and WiFi would be rolled out across all
buses, ferries and trains from 2012.

Construction of the northwest rail link would begin in 2017.

Shadow transport spokeswoman Gladys Berejiklian said Labor's transport plan, including
a promise to build the Western Express and Parramatta to Epping lines, was a "rehash".

"There wasn't a single thing new in there and regrettably this will continue to subject
commuters to the heartache they go through everyday," Ms Berejiklian told reporters in
Sydney.

"They've presented at least nine transport plans in the last 15 years, at least a dozen
different rail lines which have been announced and cancelled.

"The most recent example is a CBD to Rozelle Metro which cost tax payers $500 million
with nothing to show for it.

"How can you trust a single thing the Labor party says?"

Despite promising more than 12 rail lines, Labor had managed only to deliver half a
rail line, the Chatswood to Epping, during its 15 years in power, she said.

The line was originally supposed to extend to Parramatta and came in over budget and
three years late, she said.

Ms Berejiklian reiterated the coalition's commitment to building the northwest and
southwest rail links, if it wins the March 26 state election as expected.

But Mr Robertson hit back, claiming the government had already started construction
on the southwest rail link.

He said the opposition would "dump" an extra 128,000 homes in western Sydney while
also cancelling the Western Express and Parramatta to Epping line.

John Lee, chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum lobby group, said a future
transport plan for the state needed to be enshrined in legislation, similar to laws in
place in France and Spain.

"The public want action and business want certainty so therefore, to actually enshrine
this plan, put together by independent transport planners who actually know what the system
needs, is something we think this city needs," he said.

AAP bm/klm/dep

KEYWORD: POLLNSW TRANSPORT WRAP (WITH FACTBOX)

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