Railway to Roseworthy?
Light Regional Council (LRC) is lobbying for federal government support to help fund an extension of the passenger rail service to Roseworthy.
LRC mayor Robert Hornsey and chief executive officer Brian Carr met with infrastructure, transport and regional development minister Anthony Albanese as part of the recent community cabinet meeting, and put forward council’s proposal to extend the Gawler line to Roseworthy.
Mr. Hornsey said LRC’s proposition complements the state government’s 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, which earmarks Roseworthy for future residential development and expansion.
“It’s got all the things going for it with its proximity to Adelaide, with the NEXY and Sturt highway duplications, the fact that it has a rail corridor, it’s relatively affordable land,” he said.
Mr. Hornsey said council submitted a discussion paper to Mr. Albanese outlining the $30 to $32 million project.
“The Light Regional Council proposal was to bring to the government’s attention the fact that it’s only eight kilometres further from Gawler to Roseworthy, the railway corridor exists,” he said.
“And that with the government’s planning on upgrading and electrification of the northern rail line to Gawler, that if they were to do that to Roseworthy it could be done relatively cheaply for the extra section if it was all done as one job.”
Mr. Hornsey said council wants the passenger train service extended to Roseworthy before the anticipated residential influx.
“We feel it’s much better if…the infrastructure is put in place to begin with rather than later,” he said.
“We feel that’s a mistake that’s often made, where the infrastructure is put in after the development has taken place and people have already then settled into their ways of how they move and how they get around etc, whereas if the infrastructure is there to start with it may well encourage them to use it.”
However, Mr. Hornsey said no definitive time line has been included in the proposal.
“I don’t want to give the impression to people that tomorrow they’ll start building an electric railway to Roseworthy,” he said.
“We’re talking long-term stuff here.”
Mr. Hornsey said the proposal was well-received, and LRC is now awaiting a response from the federal government.
