SMH: Plea to keep Metro project
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/plea-to-rees-save-metro-project/2008/09/09/1220857500759.html
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Plea to keep Metro project
September 9, 2008 - 1:21PM
Business is urging the NSW government not to abandon Sydney's North West Metro rail project, after Premier Nathan Rees said he was backing away from it.
"It's too early for me to commit one way or the other to that project,'' Mr Rees told Fairfax Radio Network today. "I am pulling back from it.''
But the Sydney Chamber of Commerce has urged the government to push ahead with the project.
"No-one has ever claimed that a sustainable transport network is cheap, but we must invest to reap the rewards,'' chamber executive director Patricia Forsythe said in a statement.
"I would urge the NSW government not to get spooked and push ahead with this important strategic project.''
North-western Sydney would be accommodating much of Sydney's growth, but there were large areas with no rail network and few other public transport options, she said.
Following Mr Rees' admission that private sector participation in the North West Metro had not been fully explored, Ms Forsythe urged him to investigate all possibilities.
"There are all sorts of opportunities for commercial engagement in the project, which could potentially limit the impact on the taxpayer,'' she said.
Last week, sacked treasurer Michael Costa said the $12 billion North West Metro project should be delayed to prevent a budget blowout which would cost NSW its AAA credit rating.
Mr Rees told Fairfax Radio Network when asked if tax rates would remain untouched in his battle to boost the state's economy: "All options will be on the table. I want maximum flexibility in dealing with this challenge."
He has committed to completing Sydney's desalination plant, but not the $12 billion North West Metro rail project.
He said the state now faced a different economic outlook to that when the metro project was announced.
However, Mr Rees said public-private partnerships had not been fully explored as part of the metro project.
"I'm not going to speculate on the detail of any future public-private arrangement but what I will say is this ... my understanding is ... there hasn't been discussions with the private sector about who might have airspace over the railway stations there and those sorts of options," Mr Rees said.
"They're things I'm more than happy to explore. I think there is a role for the private sector provided it's done sensibly and provided that the taxpayer doesn't wear the risk."
Mr Rees, promoted to the top job on Friday after just 18 months in Parliament, has committed to providing a robust solution to the decline of the state's economy, after the disclosure last week that the Government was losing revenue at a rate of $90 million a month.
AAP
