Bankstown
Sydney Metro is a threat to the arts and cultural spaces in Bankstown
The NSW Government had previously announced that the Sydney Metro Southwest will be extended from Bankstown to Liverpool.
Such extension is not compatible with the current design of Bankstown Station as an above ground interchange between Sydney Trains (from Lidcombe/Liverpool) and Sydney Metro.
Despite Canterbury-Bankstown Council requesting an underground Bankstown Station, the NSW Government confirmed in late 2019 that the Metro Southwest would be completely above ground from Sydenham to Bankstown.
Internal Transport for NSW documents show plans to extend the Metro Southwest line from Bankstown to Liverpool would require a tunnel portal to the west of the existing station at the current Bankstown Arts Centre site.
Sydney Metro has already forced out the Canterbury Theatre Guild from its building within the former Canterbury Bowling Club site, and will soon demolish the Bankstown Arts Centre.
The Bankstown Arts Centre should not be destroyed as the best way to improve transport for Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown commuters is for a digital signalling upgrade on the T3 Bankstown Line.
Upgrading signalling allows trains every 2-3 minutes without converting the line into Metro.
Read More: SAVE T3 SUBMISSION: INQUIRY INTO ACQUISITION OF LAND IN RELATION TO MAJOR TRANSPORT PROJECTS
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In 2012, Transport for NSW estimated the cost of Sydenham to Bankstown Metro to be just $816 million.
Now in 2023, the cost to convert Sydenham to Bankstown is estimated to be around $10 billion dollars
(as part of the overall Sydney Metro City & Southwest project blowout to over $20.5 billion).
Page 2 indicates acquisition of current Bankstown Arts Centre site for the extension of Sydney Metro from Bankstown to Liverpool. The option on Page 3 with an underground Bankstown Station with the tunnel dive near Stacey St has been ruled out by Sydney Metro at the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into Sydenham-Bankstown line conversion (2019).
