LUKE FOLEY MP
NSW LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
MEMBER FOR AUBURN
JASON CLARE MP
MEMBER FOR BLAXLAND
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
Labor is calling on the State Liberal Government to finally fix the long-running issue of the busiest road outside the CBD, Stacey Street, in the forthcoming state budget.
Labor Leader Luke Foley said that he would be looking at the Budget for a clear commitment from the Government for a fully-costed plan to deal with the notorious bottleneck.
Stacey Street needs three lanes in both directions from Bankstown Central shopping centre all the way to the Hume Highway, with an overpass or intersection at this major bottleneck.
Mr Foley made the comments alongside Jason Clare MP (Member for Blaxland), Tania Mihailuk MP (Member for Bankstown), Jihad Dib MP (Member for Lakemba), Cameron Murphy (Labor Candidate for East Hills) and Clr Khal Asfour (Mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown).
Mr Clare has been pressing the Liberal State Government to fund the intersection between Stacey Street and the Hume Highway in Bankstown a priority.
To date a promised program of works to fix issues has not progressed beyond a small section of widening Stacey Street from Macauley Avenue to Stanley Street.
The Liberals said the bottleneck would be fixed by its Gateway to the South Pinch Point Program but significant funding has yet to emerge.
Labor recognises the critical role that this road – a key route between the M4 and M5 – plays in Bankstown. The first step will be developing proper costings and planning, which so far the Liberals haven’t even bothered to do.
If the NSW Government doesn’t act, Labor will go to next year’s election with a commitment to further develop this project as a priority, with confirmed costings and develop a staged plan for its construction.
An upgraded program would ease congestion around Bankstown and deliver safer and faster journeys.
Stacey Street is the slowest road in Sydney outside of the CBD according to a report by Austroads. It’s also the seventh slowest road in all of Australia and New Zealand.
“I am urging the State Government to get on with the job of fixing Stacey Street. Bankstown has waited long enough.
“The Liberal government calls itself the ‘infrastructure government’ but let’s actually see if they deliver on that promise to Bankstown. Their priorities are knocking down and rebuilding stadiums not getting Western Sydney moving.
“I’ll be looking in the Budget for a clear commitment from the Government to invest in upgrades for Stacey Street” said NSW Labor Leader Luke Foley
“Stacey Street is a major bottleneck, especially the intersection of Stacey Street and the Hume Highway.”
“What’s needed here is an overpass or interchange to get traffic flowing.
“The thousands of local people who crawl along this road everyday want it fixed.
“I’m calling on the State Government to finish the job and fix this problem once and for all” said Jason Clare.
Media Contact: Jamie Wassef 9790 2466
