Opposition transport spokesperson hits out at Minns government over delays 03:14

Natalie Ward is a Liberal spokesperson for transport and she's on the line for us. Nat, g'day. G'day, Chris. What do you make of this? More delays, it sounds. Well, it's just a pattern of behaviour now by this government. It goes to judgement and accountability. Chris Means said he was very confident the MOU, the Memorandum of Understanding, would come to fruition. That hasn't occurred. And let's look at the result for taxpayers in Metro West. If Rose Hill's off the books...

One, Metro West has been delayed for two years. So for no apparent reason, it's kicked down the road two years. Two, Sydney Metro have held off awarding any contracts for 18 months, as you said. That means cost escalation on the project. So it's been delayed, cost more money.

Three, hundreds of hours of bureaucrats' time has been spent on this proposal already when they could have been getting on with the existing program. And four, ultimately taxpayers are paying more and they're getting nothing new in return for this thought bubble.

It's starting to look more and more like the Bob Carr years of announcement and re-announcement, press release before delivery. And we just want to see delivery on these things and some responsibility taken for getting on with it. Ultimately, it's up to the members of the Australian Turf Club, right? And it feels to me that they've almost been disrespected through this process because there's...

They're the ones who have to give the board the okay to sell Rose Hill Racecourse. Yet now you've got a railway station for Metro West that's

going to delay the entire train line by years and years and years, and the Premier and his team has been told this. You've got no guarantee of the $5 or $6 billion promised. It'll likely be closer to sort of $1, $1.5 billion, and that money will only be realised after sort of 10 or 20 years in progress payments. This was not what we were sold in that press release and that press conference before Christmas.

Well, no, there was a great rush to do the press conference, great rush to announce the 25,000 homes, great rush to get out there without having done the work. And this is now a pattern of behaviour. You've got to do the work. You've got to make it stack up. You've got to get the financials right. And you've got to check with the Australian Turf Club and the members to see if it's going to work. Hey, can we sell your property?

What do you reckon? Do you want to be partners with us? But none of that was done. There was the race to get the media, race to the announcement and re-announcement. And it's more about prioritising the press release than the delivery. I mean, you've got good teams of people there who can do good things, but none of this has been thought through. And what it means is, tragically, more cost and delay. And, I mean, they've built...

I've already botched the Metro opening, that was done, planned, funded and built, we're allowed to do this opener. Now Rose Hill is not happening and that means dwelling approvals are down as well. So it's a whole lot of talk, a whole lot of delay, a lot more cost and no delivery and that's the sad thing about all of this. There was a program in place that they could have got on with but they're racing to the finish line without actually doing the work.

Nat Ward, I appreciate you coming on as always. Thanks so much. Good to be with you. Thanks, Chris. That's Natalie Ward. She's a Liberals spokesperson for transport.