Melbourne’s booming west needs trains for the sake of all of us

Population growth in Melbourne’s west is the fastest in Australia. The region’s population will soon pass 1 million, and will be 1.8 million by 2051. Australia’s economic future critically depends on leveraging this growth with investments in freight and passenger rail services to enhance productivity and labour force participation.

Serious consideration should be given to advancing the planning of the Suburban Rail Loop West, which along with the government’s welcome decision to proceed with the Airport Rail Link would provide greatly enhanced connections for the west’s rapidly growing workforce to move between Werribee, Sunshine, the airport and the city. This would boost the economy as well as improving the lives of the west’s growing population.

The west’s workforce is providing extensive skills to Australia’s largest and fastest-growing healthcare and professional services sectors, as well as its traditional sectors of manufacturing, transport and logistics. However, too many residents have to commute out of the region to work in these sectors, putting huge pressure on inadequate transport infrastructure. There are two solutions to this.

First, more public and private investment in established employment precincts in Footscray, Sunshine and East Werribee would grow much-needed quality local jobs. Cobblebank (in Melton), soon to receive a new hospital and TAFE, should be added as a fourth priority precinct.

Second, public transport (buses and rail) needs to be expanded to help reduce excessive commuting times out of the region, especially into the city, and to promote shorter commutes within the region to priority employment precincts.

Melbourne’s west will soon benefit from both the Metro and the West Gate tunnels. And we are delighted that Commonwealth and state governments have made significant contributions towards the funding of the city- airport rail link incorporating the Sunshine super-hub. Now called SRL (Airport), it will provide the airport to Sunshine part of SRL West. It is arguably the most important investment of all. It offers more than improved services for commuters and air travellers; it will also provide Sunshine with an opportunity to be a major commercial hub and visitor centre, like Parramatta in Sydney, which is sometimes called Sydney’s second CBD. Sunshine should follow suit.

It is now clear that SRL East will be completed as well as SRL Airport. The next priority should be SRL West, to connect Werribee in Wyndham – which already has a larger population than Geelong – and the region’s commercial centre of Sunshine, driving jobs growth. This would be a big and welcome investment in the west of Melbourne.

We recognise that rigorous assessment of the realisable benefits is important, alongside an analysis of the costs. It is our judgement that, especially if the economy-wide benefits are fully assessed, it will stack up well.

Meanwhile, electrification and duplication of the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines are especially urgent to avert a commuting crisis. This would increase service frequency and increase the number of people that can travel on a single train. These are key elements of the existing Western Rail Plan, which needs to be accelerated.

Rethinking the future of Melbourne’s west as it soars in population will not only improve the quality of life for “Westies”, and strengthen Melbourne’s status as one of the world’s most liveable cities. It will also boost the Victorian and Australian economies. The Age’s Go West series highlights the strategic importance of the west of Melbourne. These investments would leverage that importance.

Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks was the founding chair of the West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance (WoMEDA), of which Peter Dawkins is the current chair. Bracks is chancellor of Victoria University, where Dawkins is an emeritus professor of economics. These issues will be discussed at the West of Melbourne Summit, presented by WoMEDA in partnership with The Age on October 22-23.