Sydney Australia: Corporates Back Plan to bankroll light rail line from Parramatta to Sydney Olympic Park (Western Sydney)

DEBORAH FITZGERALD PARRAMATTA ADVERTISER FEBRUARY 18, 2015 12:00AM

An artist’s impression of the Parramatta light rail, which a group of businesses want extended to Sydney Olympic Park.

A CONSORTIUM of up to 20 high-profile businesses have formed the West Line Alliance, offering to tip in hundreds of millions of dollars to bring the Parramatta light rail link to Sydney Olympic Park.

The business group hopes to bankroll the project and make the Olympic Park line the State Government’s preferred route for stage one, with a final announcement expected before the State Election.

The West Line Alliance includes corporate heavy-hitters such as Goodman Fielder, General Property Trust, Australian Turf Club, Accor Hotels and ANZ Stadium and has brought a number of influential business leaders to the table.

Big business is pushing for a light rail link from Parramatta to Sydney Olympic Park.

Until now, the favoured route for the first stage of the Parramatta light rail link was to Macquarie Park via Carlingford.

The route, one of four options outlined last year, has been the frontrunner because the land corridor to Carlingford has ­already been reserved for heavy rail and could be built faster and cheaper.

Parramatta MP Geoff Lee and Parramatta City Council have championed the Carlingford line. However, the alliance wants the government to consider moving on the Sydney Olympic Park link sooner rather than later.

Sydney Business Chamber Western Sydney director David Borger.

The government is examining four potential corridors before it choses a light rail route

Convened by the Western Sydney chapter of the Sydney Business Chamber, the alliance wants to use a ‘value-capture’ funding model which sees beneficiaries of infrastructure stumping up money for the project.

Western Sydney Business Chamber director David Borger said the link could be partially funded through contributions from developers along the route.

“If they are going to spend $1 billion building a light rail link, well there could be a few hundred million dollars from the private sector to do two routes rather than one,” he said.

Rosehill Gardens racecourse is on the proposed route to Sydney Olympic Park.

ANZ Stadium is part of the West Line Alliance behind the push.

“If they are going to build a link to Macquarie Park, then build one to Sydney Olympic Park at the same time, or bring it forward rather than a stage two project.

“It pushes the public dollar further and makes sense for the beneficiaries of the light rail to make a contribution.

“The Gold Coast has levied all the businesses along the light rail route to fund the build and we need to consider all options in terms of public-private funding.”

Mr Borger has been a long term supporter of a route from Westmead to Sydney Olympic Park via Camellia.

“There is a real opportunity here to connect Westmead, Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park as one city,” he said.

Western Sydney Light Rail 

“I just think western Sydney hasn’t been able to capture a lot of knowledge jobs,” Mr Borger said.

But Mr Borger’s suggested route would require an extension northwest from Parramatta to Westmead, which was not one the four preferred routes released by Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian late last year.

The business chamber said the Parramatta light rail project had the potential to transform the region and support Parramatta as Sydney’s second CBD.

The chamber said the project should be prioritised because of its potential to stimulate economic growth and housing supply in western Sydney.

“A stark jobs deficit remains as 200,000 people leave the region for work each day and this is forecast to grow to more than 400,000 by 2051 without drastic action,” a statement from the chamber said.