23 NOVEMBER - South West Rail Link TO GO UNDERGROUND

Harrington Grove is delighted at the NSW government’s decision to construct the new South West Rail Link underground south of the proposed station at Oran Park. The annoucement made today by NSW Minister for transport means the railway will now be underground through Harrington Grove. The Government has said that the new proposal will not require the resumption of any homes.

The underground proposal that has been announced will also not impact on the important Harrington Forest.

Harrington Grove congratulate the Government on listening to the concerns that we all had with the original surface proposal and for adopting the underground option. We particularly wish to thank our local politician, Chris Patterson, for hearing our concerns and for his very effective representations that he made on our behalf.

The South West Rail Link is set to run underground from Oran Park, beneath Harrington Grove and continue further south to Narellan. It will also include stations at Rossmore, Bringelly and North Bringelly, and will be an extension of the recently completed South West Rail Link that currently operates between Leppington and Glenfield. It will service the growing needs of the South West and will eventually link up with the future Badgerys Creek Airport.

In his annoucement, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the plan was good news for Macarthur region residents. “While construction on a rail line is not expected to start for some years, even decades, we need to do the planning now to make sure we can build this crucial infrastructure more efficiently and cost effectively when it’s needed,” Mr Constance said. “Earlier this year the NSW Government carried out detailed consultation with the community to help refine corridor options for a future rail extension between Leppington and Narellan. “While work is still continuing to refine the future corridor, we are pleased to announce that the final recommended corridor will include an underground alignment between Oran Park and north of Narellan. “This will ensure that the corridor will avoid impacting existing homes in Oran Park the Anglicare aged care facility, Wildfire Estate, and Harrington Park.”