Support for Western link

The Mayors of the Central NSW Joint Organisation have thrown their support behind a push for improved transport connections between the Central West and Western Sydney, and are asking the public to sign an online petition.

The mayors say they welcome the influx of travellers to our region as a result of COVID-19 border restrictions, school holidays and long weekends over the past few months.

‘’With borders closed and our strong tourism offering in this region, every mayor in the region is reporting a significant increase in visitation,” said Lachlan Shire Mayor John Medcalf OAM. “A vast majority of visitors to the region travel by car and travel home on a Sunday, often after lunch. This causes a gridlock between Hartley and Katoomba and often a similar experience on the Bells Line.

“The mayors of the region are concerned for the reputation of the region where our visitors are crawling up the western escarpment of the Blue Mountains through Mount Victoria and Blackheath. We see this as a disincentive to return visitation and are looking at ways we can help.

“Transport for NSW have introduced traffic calming measures to try and manage this problem, however the solution is a safer, swifter transport connection between Sydney and Central NSW. It is vital for freight, for our economy, for access to health and education. This is why we are encouraging support for the Western Link petition.

“The petition is calling for a safe swift link at 100kph across the mountains. The mayors of the region support this 100 per cent and are encouraging our communities to sign the petition,” said Mayor Medcalf.

To sign the petition, go to: https://westernlink.org.au/