Wollongong MP, Paul Scully, has today written to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance MP, urging the NSW Government to nominate the Wollongong-Sydney rail corridor for business case funding under the Federal Government’s National Rail Program (NAP).

Mr Scully also placed a question on notice on the Legislative Assembly Business Paper asking the Minister whether he was aware of a similar call by the Illawarra Business Chamber (IBC), would the Government nominate the South Coast Line, and if not, why not?

In separate correspondence to Mr Scully this week, the Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, Mark Coure MP, indicated that:

I want to assure you the NSW Government will be fighting hard for its fair share of the proposed $10 billion National Rail Program.  Discussions regarding which projects will be nominated are ongoing and at an early stage.

The Federal Government has called for State and Territory Governments to nominate projects for business case funding under the Faster Rail Prospectus, which was publicly released this week.

Nominations for projects close on 13 October 2017.

Comments attributable to Paul Scully MP:

“I’ve formally written to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance MP, again today requesting that the NSW Government nominate the Wollongong-Sydney rail corridor for business case funding under the Federal Government’s National Rail Program.

“To maintain the pressure, I’ve lodged a question on notice to the Minister asking him to do so, and to explain why, if he doesn’t.

“This is a crucial opportunity to develop plans that would allow for dramatic improvement in the Wollongong-Sydney rail corridor, deal with current constraints, and conflicts between passenger and rail freight.”