Councils demand more rail

Mayors of three south-west Sydney councils — Liverpool, Camden and Campbelltown — have demanded that the NSW Labor government fulfil its promise to extend the Southern rail line from Glenfield to Leppington.

The mayors threatened to block planned land releases in the area if the government reneged on its promise, an option it is believed to be considering for its November 11 mini-budget. The government plans to build housing for 280,000 people in 18 new suburbs in the area centred on Leppington.

South-western Sydney is one of the most car-dependent areas in Australia, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. Increasing the population by 280,000 without increasing the rail infrastructure would only exacerbate the problem.

From GLW issue 771