BCCT Letter to NDT ref NWRL

Dear Scott,

Thank you for the email and opportunity to provide you with the BCCT position on this issue

Public transport infrastructure is a necessity and should be a priority to reduce the car dependency of our ever increasing population in Sydney.

While the recent State Government announcements are positive, the BCCT would have welcomed a closer examination of the report by Sinclair Knight Merz prepared for Parramatta Council. We believe this is a forward thinking model that should be seriously considered.

It takes a polycentric approach which encompasses Sydney's future employment centres at Parramatta, Norwest and MacQuarie Park. This proposed rail link builds off the Epping to Parramatta Link and connects Parramatta to Rouse Hill via stations at Northmead, Winston Hills, Castle Hill, Norwest and Kellyville.

The proposed link will provide more desirable travel to commuters from the Hills. Even today 9000 Hills district residents work in Parramatta as compared to 8000 in the CBD.

Other positives for this option would be that it would negate the requirements of a second harbour crossing which has been estimated this year as costing $8b.

It is interesting that the NSW Government have appointed Nick Greiner to head up Infrastructure NSW and appear not to have waited for that organisation to be set up before making a decision on what will be the most important Infrastructure projects to be built in the next twenty years.

I hope that consideration will be afforded to do a side by side assessment of the two available options.

Regards

Michael Stove

President

Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust