Scrapping Sydney's Metro West would not only be a betrayal of the people of western Sydney, but a betrayal of the environment, according to Shadow Minister for Environment Kellie Sloane.
"We know from experience with previous Labor Governments in NSW that when they 'delay' a project, it never happens," says Ms Sloane."
"This is more of the same from a party whose modus operandi is to let NSW grind to a halt."
Metro West is expected to move 40,000 people an hour – doubling the capacity of the current rail network and reducing commute time from the CBD to Parramatta to just 20 minutes.
Not only would this project support new housing, boost business and improve quality of life for people in Western Sydney, but it will create significant environmental benefits.
Expanding access to high quality public transport is a proven way to reduce car use and its associated emissions. People who live in communities with accessible public transport tend to own fewer vehicles, drive less, and rely more on public transport than other areas. (Litman 2010)
"The former Coalition Government was committed to addressing this, hence our record spend on public transport. By cancelling major public transport infrastructure, NSW Labor is committing to a future of greater congestion and poorer air quality."
"Once again, NSW Labor shows it can't be trusted."
- Cars are one the biggest emitters of greenhouse gas. Australia's per capita transport emissions are 45% higher than the OECD average (IEA 2016).
- Heavy rail based transport – such as Metro West - has the greatest impact on reducing car dependence (McIntosh et al 2014).
- Rail based transport is known to have the greatest impact on reducing car use (McIntosh et al 2014).
- An international scorecard comparing 23 of the largest energy-using countries, ranked Australia second worst for transport energy efficiency due to: High emitting cars, low use of public transport (12% of trips), and low ratio of spending on public transport compared to roads (ACEEE 2016).
