Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 has been given the tick of approval by 74 per cent of Sydneysiders with strong support for the NSW Government to finalise the route and start construction according to a poll on the future of the Olympic Peninsula.
Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 is the extension of the Parramatta Light Rail (currently under construction) from Rydalmere to Olympic Park through Ermington, Melrose Park and Wentworth Point.
67 per cent of Sydneysiders agree that the NSW Government should commit to a final route and start date for Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail with a whopping 75 per cent of local residents supporting that outcome.
"Sydneysiders want to be able to access the Olympic Peninsula more easily so they can take advantage of our major event and recreation facilities, fantastic parklands and most importantly, the growing number of jobs in the precinct – the only way to do that is for the NSW Government to commit to the investment in new transport infrastructure like Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2," said David Borger, Executive Director of the Western Sydney Business Chamber.
"This project works hand in glove with the planned Metro West project and will ensure the communities outside this metro corridor can connect to this service rather than contributing to Sydney congestion in private vehicles.
"We have a situation at the moment where it is easier for the booming community in Wentworth Point to access the Sydney CBD by public transport than it is for them to get to Olympic Park – many residents get in their cars and drive the four kilometres to Olympic Park because the current public transport options are inadequate.
"For Sydney Olympic Park to reach its full potential as a super lifestyle precinct – where you can work, live and play – it must have stronger public transport connections to its supporting suburbs like Wentworth Point and its metropolitan community."
Mr Borger said it was understandable that 60 per cent of people surveyed said insufficient public transport was a barrier to visiting Olympic Park or visiting it more often.
Improved public transport access to Olympic Park was the highest ranked priority for the precinct with 66 per cent saying improved public transport services would make Sydney Olympic Park a good place to live, ahead of quality of housing options (62%), more affordable housing (60%) and improved road access (57%).
"We know from experience that when we have major events transport activated, Sydney Olympic Park hums but outside of those times the sprint train service and meandering bus routes can make it challenging to access Olympic Park quickly and directly."
"The message is loud and clear that the NSW Government, as they have promised multiple times, needs to commit to the construction of Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 as a priority for the Olympic Peninsula," said Mr Borger.
The poll of 1,228 Sydneysiders including (420 local residents) was commissioned by the Western Sydney Business Chamber and the Sydney Olympic Pak Business Association earlier in the year to support the precinct's advocacy platform – Relight the Flame: A Five Point Plan to Complete the Sydney Olympic Vision.
