By David Ettershank, Member for Western Metropolitan Region
Have you ever been to Parramatta, west of Sydney? It’s the cultural, commercial and administrative capital of Western Sydney. I hope I live to see the day when Sunshine is the true capital of Western Melbourne. For that to happen, the state government must invest in Sunshine; however, at times, I’m not sure how committed the Premier is to the West.
In short, money has been allocated, but the government doesn’t always seem to be in a hurry to get work in the West done. In the 2025-26 state budget, the Allan government promised (with the Commonwealth Government) to invest $4.1 billion transforming Sunshine Station into a transport superhub. The works package includes more trains, a rail line to Melbourne Airport, electrifying the Melton line and redeveloping Sunshine Station. This should deliver seamless connections to the city and the regions.
I recently had the privilege of attending the West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance (WoMEDA) conference. There, they outlined Sunshine’s potential to become a second Melbourne CBD by 2050. WoMEDA wants to see a well-planned city with a commercial centre, civic infrastructure and inviting public spaces. This would attract new businesses to Sunshine and encourage existing owners to revitalise offices and shops. Tens of thousands of new jobs could be based in Sunshine. Parramatta is home to several NSW government departments, and even the ABC has moved from Sydney’s CBD to Parramatta, with 300 staff based there.
And of course, we’ve also been promised an Airport Rail Link, which is intrinsically connected to the redevelopment of Sunshine Station. It would also make sense to electrify the Melton and even Wyndham Vale lines while redeveloping the Sunshine Station.
Work on the station should start in early 2026 and be completed in 2030. However, again I wonder if the government’s enthusiasm for revitalising Sunshine has waned. In October 2022, the State Government committed $143 million to implement the first stage of the Sunshine Station Masterplan. However, little progress has been made on this commitment.
The Superhub also appears to be less of a priority than other significant works, such as the Suburban Rail Loop. The electrification of the Melton line has been pushed back until after the station upgrade is complete — the best-case scenario is that the station will be completed in 2030, and only then would the electrification of the Melton line begin, and the Wyndham Vale line barely gets a mention. So, electrification is unlikely to happen before 2035. State Labor promised way back in the 2018 election campaign that it would electrify the Melton and Wyndham lines, which now rely on regional V/Line trains to service the fastest-growing area of Australia. (The population will hit 1.8 million people by 2050.)
It would be a tragedy if only the station redevelopment goes ahead. I want the Allan government to set deadlines for the delivery of stage 1 of the Sunshine Station Precinct Masterplan. The station must be well-integrated into a vibrant new city centre. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get a second CBD right. A stronger government commitment and clear timelines for delivering the masterplan would give businesses confidence that Sunshine will continue to grow and be an attractive area to invest in.
Sunshine isn’t just a place to pass through, it’s a place to BE – a place where you can live, work and thrive.
David Ettershank, Member for Western Metropolitan Region.
You can contact his office
via phone (03) 9317 5900,
or visit www.davidettershank.com.au
