Planned Sydney-Newcastle high-speed rail in doubt

Planned Sydney-Newcastle high-speed rail in doubt

The premier says the federal government’s long-term imaginative and prescient for creating high-speed rail throughout the state stays intact regardless of studies the federal government will dump a quick prepare from Sydney to Newcastle.

The Guardian on Friday reported the NSW authorities had shelved plans to construct a devoted high-speed rail line between Sydney and Newcastle, after spending near $100 million on planning the mission.

“What you do as a government during the budget period is you make investment decisions based on the plans that you’ve set out,” Premier Dominic Perrottet instructed reporters on Friday.

However, the premier insisted the federal government’s final aim of making high-speed rail hyperlinks throughout NSW remained on monitor, with initiatives rolled out in a cost-effective means.

“As you move forward, you prioritise your projects in a way that is affordable and sustainable, that sets out the future vision,” he mentioned.

“That’s what we’ve done as a government.”

Opposition transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen mentioned the federal government had revealed a serious black gap of their spending plans.

She referred to as on the federal government to launch a report into the feasibility of potential high-speed rail routes carried out by UK rail professional Andrew McNaughton.

The $4.6m fast-rail panel led by Mr McNaughton was introduced by Gladys Berejikilian in December 2018, when Mr Perrottet was the state’s treasurer.

“Ultimately, the fact is that the Liberals make a lot of promises about infrastructure,” Ms Haylen mentioned.

“But we know, after the election, there’s only one way that they’ll pay for this and that’s through privatisation.”

The Perrottet authorities has been spruiking a pro-infrastructure agenda within the lead as much as the state election, and has attacked Labor in current days for reducing funding for business instances for Metro strains connecting western Sydney suburbs to the brand new western Sydney airport.

The opposition has defended its determination to wind again the Metro strains, citing a rising and unmanageable state deficit.

The authorities’s two-decade “six cities” technique consists of creating improved transport hyperlinks between the Illawarra Shoalhaven, Western Parklands, Central River (Parramatta), Eastern Harbour (Sydney metropolis), Central Coast and Lower Hunter areas.

Deputy Labor Leader Prue Car referred to as on the premier to make clear his place on the mission, saying faltering on excessive pace rail equated to a damaged promise.

“(The premier) actually needs to give assurance to the people of NSW about whether this is happening or not,” Ms Car instructed reporters on Friday.

“He has committed to this vision in the past, now he won’t tell us whether he’s actually committed to this in the future.”

Source: www.perthnow.com.au