Committee for Sydney wants to see transport spending at the heart of the NSW budget
A New South Wales based urban policy think tank says the upcoming state budget must focus on transport and housing if NSW is to rebound from the past few years.
Urban policy think tank Committee for Sydney CEO Gabriel Metcalf says the state’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is underway, but an emphasis must be placed on transport in the upcoming budget if the government is to avoid complacency.
“The government has spent big to get the state through the pandemic, but there is now a risk it will switch into austerity mode,” Metcalf says.
“The government needs to build on the investment in the Sydney Metro by building out a complete public transport network.”
The budget will be treasurer Matt Kean’s first and the current NSW government’s last before the next state election in March 2023.
If the state government is to continue responding to previous COVID lockdowns and restrictions, then Committee for Sydney says transport network funding is vital.
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“To become a mature public transport city will require continued expansion of the system, as well as the feeder network that gets people to and from rail stations,” Metcalf says.
According to Metcalf, the Sydney Metro project can help people move around better and encourage population and housing growth in the state.
Committee for Sydney will keep a keen eye on the upcoming state budget to see whether the NSW government shows it wants to invest in infrastructure projects.
The NSW budget is set to be handed down on June 21.