The pre-election pledges keep coming. The Prime Minister has committed one-billion dollars towards securing a rail corridor between Sydney’s growing south-west and new Western Sydney Airport. Advocates say the development will complete a missing link with the airport. But with no clear timeline for the expanded train service, critics are not so sure.
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00:00Western Sydney's international airport is due to open next year, but getting there by
00:08public transport won't be straightforward.
00:11Keen to shore up Western Sydney seats, the Prime Minister has made an election splash.
00:16The re-elected Albanese government will build on this work, investing $1 billion to preserve
00:23land corridors to facilitate the building of future rail extensions.
00:27The money would be used to buy land for a rail or metro line connecting Leppington,
00:33Bradfield and the expanding MacArthur region with the new airport.
00:37The funding won't go towards constructing the rail line, but would be spent on securing
00:42the land.
00:43We welcome Commonwealth money, it's a big city, these are big massive projects and they
00:50need to begin somewhere.
00:51The proposal has the backing of the Coalition.
00:54We are pleased to see a commitment of a billion dollars and we'll back that commitment, but
00:58we will use it the right way.
01:00And some local leaders.
01:02It's not the sole answer, it's not the silver bullet, but it lays the groundwork for a future
01:06metro track to service the growing region of the South West.
01:10But with construction taking possibly decades and no clear timeline, others have taken aim.
01:16This is half-baked.
01:18Getting a train corridor is much much different than actually getting trains.
01:23We need to build these rail lines and we need to build them now.
01:26Labor is trying to win back valuable South West Sydney seats like Fowler in Cabramatta,
01:31which was won by Independent Dai Lee three years ago.
01:35Community leaders say it'll take much more to get the public on side.
01:39We're trying to solve transport problems and provide housing, not trying to win elections.
01:44Signs of turbulence as an election looms.