Property Council Western Sydney Regional Director Ross Grove said the commitment to fund rail corridors connecting Leppington and Macarthur to the Bradfield City Centre would bolster investment confidence, and called on the federal opposition to make a similar commitment.
"The South West Rail Link Extension is one of those 'missing links' holding back the region's growth capacity and this commitment to fund corridor acquisition is the strongest signal yet that better rail connections are on the way for Western Sydney," Mr Grove said.
"Without this vital link, a rail commuter seeking to travel the 18 kilometres home to Liverpool from the new airport would have to traverse more than 55 kilometres of rail, interchanging at least twice to board services across three separate lines.
"Creating an efficient traveller-friendly rail network will involve further investment in construction of the line and additional upgrades to existing infrastructure, so it's important the NSW Government be ready with additional funding as required.
"If the final construction package doesn't include the full conversion of the South West Rail Line from Leppington to Glenfield to metro rail, it risks creating an additional and unnecessary interchange point at Leppington, slowing down the network and limiting the accessibility of the new airport and global investments that surround it.
"In practical terms, residents in the growing Campbelltown local government area would have to interchange at both Glenfield and Leppington before arriving at Western Sydney International Airport - the rail link to the airport needs to provide a quicker and more seamless connection to compete with the existing direct connection to Mascot.
"Today's announcement is a welcome step in the evolution of Western Sydney's economic potential - it's the fruit of years of work and funding from state and federal governments to create a region that is well connected and capable of driving growth into the future.
"We look forward to further announcements on the final business case and project delivery milestones to help industry make investment decisions that back-in the government's work," Mr Grove said.
