Lithgow has been overlooked as the location for a key rail maintenance facility ahead of the replacement of the state’s entire regional train fleet.
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Deputy Premier John Barilaro stood alongside Dubbo MP Troy Grant on Monday to announce Dubbo as the preferred location for the maintenance facility.
Lithgow councillor Ray Thompson brought the issue to council’s attention on Monday night and urged Mayor Stephen Lesslie and general manager Graeme Faulkner to express their concerns to the local member Paul Toole.
"We've already go the infrastructure in place so I can't see why that particular maintenance program can't come to Lithgow," Clr Thompson said.
Clr Lesslie has since spoken out as he said Lithgow was not receiving the support it needed from the state government to generate employment.
The development is set to introduce up to 100 jobs and stimulate other sectors of the Dubbo economy.
The entire regional fleet of XPTs, Xplorers and Endeavour trains will be replaced, and are expected to roll on to the tracks in the early 2020s.
Mr Barilaro said Dubbo was a standout location for the maintenance facility and the best choice to serve the broader regional network.
He highlighted Dubbo’s advantage of being “central” and said other locations did not compare.
He told of the government’s plans to increase rail passenger numbers in regional NSW by putting modern trains on the track and then toured the greenfield site earmarked for the proposed maintenance centre.
“This is about the right decision and the point being Dubbo was a country mile ahead of Orange or Lithgow or even Taree,” he said.
“I mean all those communities have every right to fight for this opportunity but when we make these decisions we have got to make what is best for the broader network and that is why Dubbo has been picked.
“Because it is the best decision for the broader network when it comes to, not just maintaining but of course scheduling.”
Mr Grant acknowledged some communities would not be happy that Dubbo had been chosen for the rail maintenance facility.
But that’s what happened when “you don’t have someone at the decision-making table of government”, he said.
“That’s a consequence and as I said, Dubbo’s becoming more and more obvious because of the connectivity to the whole state,” he said.
“Its geographical location is far superior to Orange.
“The investment appetite is far superior here in Dubbo and it’s just the obvious and most ideal place.”
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
