Penrith City Council is reiterating its stance on the urgent need for an evacuation route in Western Sydney amid news that $50 million has been confirmed for planning for the Castlereagh Connection in the Federal Budget.
Council has called on successive governments, over many years, to deliver the Castlereagh Connection to ensure the safety of our residents in a crisis and to unlock economic opportunities for not only Penrith but the wider region, stretching out to the Central West.
It is an untapped 22km corridor that was identified in 1951 and has yet to be actioned, despite being seen as a nationally significant infrastructure project. Almost 90% of the land is government-owned.
Penrith Mayor Tricia Hitchen has welcomed the funding boost after seeing first-hand the devastation caused by floods in 2021 and 2022.
"This year alone, the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley, has been hit by a number of flood events, two of which were emergency situations that closed road networks and wiped out parts of the community leaving residents stranded, only to watch on as flood waters encroached on their homes," Cr Hitchen said.
"It has been devastating and frustrating to see the impact of these crisis situations, knowing that a critical project we as a Council have long advocated for, has been unfunded - until now," she said.
"Council is relieved to hear that the Castlereagh Connection is a step closer to being realised and thanks the Federal Government for its commitment to planning for this project to help protect our community members and futureproof our City."
It was confirmed in Tuesday's Federal budget that NSW infrastructure will receive a $1 billion boost, with $300 million to fund road improvements in Western Sydney.
The Castlereagh Connection is an important response to the immediate flood risks in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley and will form a multi-pronged approach to flood management in the region.
Once complete, it will intersect with four of the current evacuation routes to deliver up to 24,000 vehicles (particularly many of the 37,000 residents of the highly flood-prone Richmond-Windsor SA3) onto the M7.
Importantly, it will create necessary transport links for any emergency situation, not just a flood.
It will also build greater development opportunities between the City and the new airport and aerotropolis, and connect Sydney to the Central West.
It will facilitate access to Sydney's existing and proposed motorway network to benefit residents in the Penrith, Hawkesbury and Blacktown Local Government Areas, where some 30,000 new homes are planned.
The connection will reduce the current national transport network gaps, particularly to the Central West, unlocking economic opportunities for Penrith and the surrounding areas across tourism, freight, and agribusiness.
"Connecting our current and future transport network to facilitate greater access across Sydney will stimulate business growth across strategic centres," Cr Hitchen continued.
"The delivery of more jobs closer to home, better connected transport links and access to work and educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities are just some of the benefits of delivering the Castlereagh Connection."
