NSW Gov releases 20-year plan for regional transport

The New South Wales Government has released the final Central West and Organa Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan (SRITP), following extensive consultation with local communities, councils, industry, and other stakeholders.

The Central West and Orana is one of the largest regions in the state, home to just over 290,000 people across nearly 13 million hectares, according to the New South Wales Government.

Communities around the region rely on reliable transport connections to access jobs, education, healthcare, shops, and essential services.

The SRITP aims to support these connections with a suite of short and medium-term initiatives, as well as longer-term outcomes to be delivered over the next 20 years, including:

Investigating the expansion of day-return bus and coach services to connect smaller communities with regional centres such as Dubbo, Bathurst, and Orange;

investigating rail infrastructure upgrades to support more frequent services between Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow, and Sydney;

developing a freight network plan to improve road access to intermodal terminals and support greater use of rail freight;

investigating potential bypasses for population centres where state roads need to balance local access with through-traffic;

developing a plan to deliver multi-stage town entry gateway treatments across the region;

investigating a streamlined funding model to support councils with the long-term maintenance and upgrade of local road networks, and;

developing a program of work to respond to the challenges and opportunities along the Great Western Highway and Bells Line of Road between Bathurst and Western Sydney.

These initiatives will support the region’s growing population, which is expected to reach 325,000 people by 2041, with most growth projected to occur around Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo, and Mudgee, according to the State Government.

Additionally, the number of residents aged over 65 in this region is greater than the state average and is also expected to increase, highlighting the importance of accessible and flexible transport options that help older people stay connected to their communities.

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“Communities based in the Central West and Orana regions know better than anyone what they need when it comes to transport,” said Jenny Aitchison, State Minister for Roads and Regional Transport.

“For these communities, a quick walk to the shops or a five-minute drive to school isn’t always the reality. Good connections matter – and even more so in our regions.

“We’ve listened to communities, councils, and industry, and this plan sets out a clear pathway to deliver the transport connections they asked for, now and over the next 20 years.”

The Central West and Orana SRITP is one of nine regional transport plans being developed as part of Transport for NSW’s broader strategy to respond to the evolving transport needs of the state’s regional areas.