Transcript - Press conference - Epping Bridge, Sydney

JEROME LAXALE [MEMBER FOR BENNELONG]: Just over there is my electorate [indistinct] over this bridge each and every day. Behind me is one of Sydney's worst bottlenecks, and it's so exciting to be here today with Minister King and Minister Haylen to announce the next stage of Labor's election commitment to upgrade this bridge.

Just last night I was taking my kids to netball training at North Epping and got stuck in traffic here for about 45 minutes, it's been a bottleneck for a long time; a project that's been talked about and promised way back since 2011, and I couldn't be prouder that an Albanese Labor Government and a newly elected Minns Labor Government will finally put words into action. It's really exciting, and I'm really glad to invite Minister King to give some more detail.

CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Thanks very much Jerome, and it's so lovely to be here at Epping, but also my first meeting with Minister Haylen, and all of my congratulations to the Minns Government. It's been four weeks, and I know they've hit the ground running and [indistinct] evidenced here with this project. But this is an election commitment that we made just under 12 months ago now as part of Labor's commitment, [indistinct] get on with the job of actually improving congestion, but also really importantly improving pedestrian safety.

Jerome has been telling me for some time now just how difficult this intersection is, not just for the amount of time that people are spending in their cars, but also as a government [indistinct] Federal Albanese Government, and the New South Wales Government [indistinct] detailed design work and all the planning work that has to be undertaken in order to actually deliver this project that's been announced today.

There will be many milestones along the way, but this is really the kick start, the green light that this project is go; we've got to get that detailed design work right, but this a $220 million project which really will [indistinct] but make it safer for pedestrians here in Epping. And I'll hand over to Jo.

JO HAYLEN [NSW TRANSPORT MINISTER]: Thanks so much, Catherine, and it's wonderful to be here in Epping with Minister King and Jerome.  This I hope is the beginning of many partnerships between the Federal Albanese Government and the State Minns Labor Governments. It's that kind of cooperation where we can deliver for communities like here in Epping. This is a long-awaited project because it's these bottlenecks that mean that people's lives [indistinct] that makes mornings dropping off the kids more difficult or trying to get to key transport interchanges [indistinct].

This kind of investment means that we can better connect with [indistinct] so that people can walk and ride safely, that kids can get safely to school, and that also that safety barriers will be installed on the bridge behind us.

This is not just a road, but it's also about what's underneath it as well. Maintaining and investing in our transport infrastructure is critical to the success of our communities and our city overall, and I want to thank Minister King for being here today and for investing together to better get outcomes for our community as well as better public transport and road infrastructure here in New South Wales.

CATHERINE KING: Any questions?

JOURNALIST: I'm the only one here.

CATHERINE KING: Yes, you are.  For me or for Minister Haylen?

JOURNALIST: Yeah, yourself is good.

CATHERINE KING: Sure.

JOURNALIST: So I think Scott Morrison and Dominic Perrottet announced $200 million spend on the bridge last year. So is that [indistinct]?

CATHERINE KING: It was during the election campaign, so that was during the election campaign [indistinct].

So that was an election commitment by the previous government matched by the Albanese Labor Government, which why we're able as the government to implement that alongside the Minns Government.

JOURNALIST: So Labor's commitment is the same as what   your announcement today is the same as what  

CATHERINE KING: We're honouring our election commitment that we made .

JOURNALIST: Obviously this is something that needs to be fixed sooner or later. How soon can residents here see this [indistinct]?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well, I'll leave Minister Haylen to talk about that, but they can't do the work until you've got the design right, and until you've got that planning, so where services are, understanding where they need to be moved, and just start that work, and really, that is what this contract is being ordered today, is to get that work done so that we can actually start on the new project. Minister Haylen might like to add to that.

JO HEYLAN: This is a long-awaited project by this community, and as you heard from their local member, Jerome, we know that we want to get there in here as well. So, from next year, community members will be able to have input into that design, and they will be able to get ongoing updates through the Transport New South Wales website, and we anticipate construction to start [indistinct].

JOURNALIST: And, sorry, did I miss, who got the contract?

JO HAYLEN: The contract has been awarded to Mott MacDonald, a global company with a significant presence here in New South Wales, significant experience on projects that are well known to this community, like the Metro, so we look forward to working with them and making sure the community has their say starting next year.

JOURNALIST: What are some of the extra   what are the new things that the new bridge will provide?

JO HAYLEN: Well, other than of course unlocking this critical bottleneck for this community, we want to see a better connection and that includes the active transport infrastructure [indistinct] cars medium strip down the middle as well as safety barriers along the edge of the bridge. That's critical for safety and a standard that you will see across the rail network, it's important that those are installed, but I think what people want most is something that works for them, so that they can walk their kids or ride their kids safely to and from school and connect this community.

Across Sydney there are places like Epping that are divided by big roads and [indistinct], and this is about better connecting them and creating places that work for everyone.

JOURNALIST: How difficult will it be to construct a new bridge?  I imagine building a bridge, you're going to have to [indistinct] is there going to be detours everywhere [indistinct]?

JO HAYLEN: That's why these projects do take some time to construct, and why we want to make sure the community is engaged from the very beginning, building above an operating train line is complicated and communities know that there are regular concessions, shut downs of rail lines to make that happen, and this project will work in conjunction with those existing scheduled shut downs. So yes, it will take some time, it is a critical project, and you can see the cooperation here between state and federal government to be [indistinct].