Seasons greetings to all our supporters. We're going into a short break until the new year, when hopefully the Government will announce its intentions for high speed rail.
The HSRA has closed its consultation with the rail industry as it now works to complete the business case for the Sydney-Newcastle section of high speed rail. We understand all the consultants have completed their work as the authority now brings it all together. Submission of the business case is expected to occur by the end of the month.
It's unclear how long the Government will take to announce its decision, but we expect it will be key policy for its election campaign. So it could be quick if the election is going to be in March, or perhaps it might drag on a bit longer if the election is in May.
Until then, there is not much to comment on. So we will take a break from blogging and enjoy the festive season. But we'll still be busy preparing to take up arms again in the new year.
Garry has volunteered to lead a team to investigate options for the rail corridor south of Sydney to the Southern Highlands for the Australian High Speed Association. The association is planning to conduct a campaign early next year to raise the priority of the southern corridor to Canberra. Both we and the association think that the southern corridor deserves equal priority as the northern corridor. It will take less time to build, and at a lower cost, to connect Sydney to Canberra, with early returns coming from opening access to the new urban development occurring near Appin and Wilton. So the team is preparing a detailed evaluation to present to local MPs and their communities to build public support for this vital infrastructure.
Syd is also preparing for greater advocacy engagement next year. He is already planning meetings with other organisations such as the Committee for Melbourne to spread the awareness and support for high speed rail in Australia.
And I am starting on a new report to explore how growth should be planned and urban development conducted in regional areas. As I said in my last blog, high quality urban design is paramount. It needs a new way of working that unites local, state and federal governments, based on extensive consultation and evaluation of options that lead to agreed urban master plans. Only then can we be sure new we will open up regional areas for sustainable growth and prosperity.