High Speed Rail gathers momentum with $230m commitment
- intouch Magazine
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Business Hunter has hailed today’s announcement that the Newcastle-Sydney high speed rail project will progress to the development phase as major step forward, bringing Australia’s fast rail vision much closer to reality.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King has announced that the Federal Government will commit $230 million for detailed design and planning approvals to make the project shovel-ready, pending a final investment decision in 2028.
Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes said high speed rail was a transformational opportunity for the Hunter and welcomed the news that it would progress to the development phase.
“Progressing high speed rail to the development phase signals real momentum toward a project that will reshape the way we interact socially and economically with the Sydney and Central Coast regions,” Mr Hawes said.
“High Speed rail proposal will dramatically reduce travel times between Newcastle and Sydney, improving workforce mobility, stimulating job creation and supporting anticipated population growth and housing delivery along the corridor.
“The work involved in the development phase alone will reap benefits for businesses and organisations in our region, providing unique opportunities for consultants and industry specialists to contribute to getting the project to shovel-ready stage.
Mr Hawes said high speed rail provided enormous opportunities for job creation, skills enhancement and investment attraction at a time when the Hunter economy was on the cusp of significant transformation.
“It will be an enormous boost to the diversification and resilience of our economy,” Mr Hawes said.
“As the birthplace of Australia’s High Speed Rail, we will become the national hub for a new specialised industry, with a pipeline of work potentially stretching out for decades.”
Mr Hawes said Business Hunter looked forward to continued engagement with government and the High Speed Rail Authority to ensure the Hunter region maximises the long-term benefits of this nation-building investment.
