A Shorten Labor Government will commit up to $50 million to kickstart the critical upgrade of Sydney’s notorious Appin Road to improve capacity, safety and invest in local jobs.

Appin Road is at the heart of Sydney’s future growth corridor with 35,000 extra houses soon to be built south of Campbelltown.

Action is needed now to get ahead of this boom in development and to ensure that sufficient road infrastructure is in place.

Upgrading the road is important to address ongoing safety issues, with a disturbing number of fatalities on the road - more than 36 lives have been lost over the past two decades. Local residents are desperate for investment in the road to address ongoing safety issues.

Labor’s commitment of up to $50 million will go towards a full upgrade of the road, making it dual carriageway. Labor will work with the State Government and private investors to secure the full funding commitment.

This is an important investment in the region and will help facilitate development of the area and provide affordable housing options in outer Sydney.

It is expected that public transport will also rapidly evolve on the upgraded road as the new homes will be built close to the route.

The Appin Road was once a country road linking a town to a village. Now it sits between two growing major regions – Macarthur and the Illawarra. The time for Appin Road upgrade has come.

Labor is committed to this investment because we know that local residents have waited long enough – an investment in the Appin Road is an investment in the future of Sydney’s growth.

WEDNESDAY, 18 MAY 2016