[Greens-Media] Infrastructure Australia fails to back Westconnex - Abbott caught out

[Jegatheeswaran, Brami (Jegan) (Sen L. Rhiannon)]

MEDIA COMMENT
Wednesday 14 May 2014

Infrastructure Australia fails to back Westconnex - Abbott caught out

Commenting on reports that Infrastructure Australia has not identified any of the major road projects the federal government plans to prioritise with a $50 billion budget allocation (http://bit.ly/1ga1CCD), Australian Greens transport spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

"The Abbott government is deceiving the people of western Sydney with its claims WestConnex will ease the transport problems that confront residents every day.

"News that Infrastructure Australia has not made Westconnex a priority casts further doubt on Sydney's most expensive motorway project and the Abbott Government's process for approving another $2 billion in funds.

"The people who will benefit from Westconnex are motorway builders and operators.

"Westconnex will do nothing to fix Sydney's transport crisis caused by chronic underinvestment in public rail and bus services in greater Western Sydney and the failure to grow innovative, light rail and bicycle networks in the inner suburbs.

"The injection of $2 billion to Westconnex is being linked to the second airport at Badgery's Creek, which is also a win for developers and big businesses and not in the interests of the community.

"Misleading claims about jobs growth and new transport routes linked with Badgerys Creek  have been used to con the community into thinking a Badgerys Creek airport will benefit them.

"If the federal and state governments have nothing to hide in their decision to prioritise road projects that have not been identified by Infrastructure Australia then they should release their cost-benefit studies.

Contact: 0487 350 880

Brami Jegan
Communications | Strategy
for Australian Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon

72 Campbell Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
p: (02) 9211 9523 | m: 0487 350 880

http://lee-rhiannon.greensmps.org.au/

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