Plans for a $40 million multi-storey car park providing up to 700 extra parking spaces at Schofields station have been announced by the NSW Government.
Riverstone MP Kevin Conolly said commuters had been calling for more parking spaces at the station for some time, and announced the plans on November 30.
“The NSW Government will construct a $40 million multi-storey facility, built over the existing station car parks, providing up to 700 spaces,” Mr Conolly said in a statement.
The new car park is expected to be delivered by the end of 2020, subject to planning approval, he said.
Around 130 temporary spaces will be provided on land adjacent to the station and work will get underway in January with the extra spaces open to customers in the first quarter of 2019, Mr Conolly said.
But Labor also claimed victory in the announcement, with Greenway MP Michelle Rowland saying she had been campaigning on the issue for the past five years through petitions, in parliament and in the media to make the project a reality.
The announcement followed a speech in Federal Parliament by Ms Rowland that called on the State Government for a bipartisan commitment to the project.
“This victory proves that by listening to the community and having the determination to get results, we can change things for the better and improve the quality of life for local residents. That’s what it’s all about,” Ms Rowland said.
“Congratulations to everyone who has been involved over the past five years on this successful campaign.
“There is still much more work for us to do to address the serious infrastructure deficit in our community. But with your support, I will keep up the fight and keep delivering results.
“It goes to show how effective strong community representation can be, even from opposition.”
The State Government has committed more than $2 billion to the Transport Access Program since 2011, with more than 450 projects either completed or underway across the state.