Greens councillor Jill Merrin gained the support of the whole of Wollongong Council when she proposed that upgrading the South Coast rail line should be considered alongside the F6 upgrade

Read the article published in Illawarra  Mercury 8 June 2017

Published in Illawarra  Mercury 8 June 2017

Upgrading the South Coast rail line should be considered alongside the F6 upgrade, Wollongong City Council decided on Monday.

Cr Jill Merrin put forward a motion calling for the council to write to Transport Minister Andrew Constance and Roads Minister Melinda Pavey calling for this.

The motion also wanted the public release of costs and benefits of South Coast rail improvements and details of efforts to reduce travel time on the line.

Cr Merrin said the motion was driven by the recent release of an internal Transport for NSW memo, that claimed experts were directed not to compare the cost of rail improvements against the F6 upgrade.

Kiama MP Gareth Ward had branded this as “absolute nonsense”.

Cr Merrin wanted “all the information” assessed.

“These experts are being constrained by the government in doing their job, which is to get value for taxpayers’ money and come up with the best strategy for transport between the Illawarra and Sydney,” Cr Merrin said.