Greens promise Thirroul tunnel

Senator Mehreen Faruqi

THE Australian Greens will set aside $1.5 billion to start construction of a Thirroul rail tunnel to slash rail travel times to Sydney for the people of the Illawarra as part of their Federal Election platform.
Senator for NSW, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, who is also a civil and environmental engineer, said the Greens will redirect money for toll roads across the country into public transport projects.

The Greens will set aside $1.5 billion of that funding towards the Thirroul tunnel, which, Dr Faruqi said will cover almost half the expected price tag and will shave 22 minutes of each trip between the Illawarra and Sydney.

“We know that thousands of people travel between the Illawarra and Sydney every day and face overcrowded trains, long commutes and a lack of seating. It doesn’t have to be this way the Illawarra deserves world class, 21st Century public transport.
“As a civil engineer it is frustrating to see Government’s commit to building multibillion dollar toll roads, like the F6, rather than invest in real solutions at a fraction of the cost, like the Thirroul tunnel.
“The Greens will set aside $1.5 billion dollars of Federal Funding to go towards the Thirroul Tunnel. This will cover almost half the expected price tag and shave nearly 25 minutes off each trip.”