Thursday, 9th June, 2003

On 6th March 2003, before the State Election due on 22nd March, the Rail Now Campaign issued a media release claiming it was doubtful the Parramatta - Epping part of the Parramatta Rail Link would be built. The release set out some of the reasons why the Government's plans for rail in the West didn't add up.

The then Transport Minister dismissed our claims. This is how the Parramatta Sun reported it on 12th March 2003:

A spokeswoman for the transport minister, Carl Scully, said the priority was to deliver the full Parramatta project before the north-west rail link.

"If the Rail Now Campaign had done its homework it would have found a $1m commitment in the 2003 state budget for development work on the Parramatta to Epping section. The funding is separate from the $1.62bn that has already been committed to the Parramatta project."

She said the Government had already received approval to complete the full project by 2010.

After

On 2nd June 2003, after the election, the new Minister for Transport Services, Michael Costa, told journalists that the future of the Epping to Parramatta section of the rail link was now uncertain. On 3rd June he released a summary of 3 substantially cheaper alternative options for Stage 2 of the link, from Parramatta and Epping.

This is how the North Shore Times reported the Government's response on 6th June 2003:

Mr Costa's representative, Eamonn Fitzpatrick, said there had been no backflip.

"As far as we're concerned, stage two has only ever been in the planning stage," Mr Fitzpatrick said.

So before the election, it was approved and funded. Now it seems it was only ever in the planning stage.


[Contact Philip Howell on 9891 3657(W) or 0408 486 433 or 9633 3941(H) or howell@bigpond.net.au]