A community movement
to get the west moving

Dear Prime Minister Albanese and Premier Allan, 

As a resident in Melbourne’s west, I write to express my concern regarding the ongoing delays to the construction of the Melbourne Airport Rail and the development of the Sunshine Precinct. 

Melbourne’s west has had enough of being one of the most disadvantaged communities in Australia. Generations of grave under-investment from Governments has resulted in traffic congestion, inadequate transport, unsafe road connections, high unemployment, and insufficient community infrastructure. It’s time to right the wrongs of the past and provide the urgent investment we need to transform Melbourne’s west and deliver intergenerational change. 

While I acknowledge the Federal Government’s recent announcement of an additional $2 billion towards transforming Sunshine Station as part of the Melbourne Airport Rail project, I am calling for the Federal and State Governments to work in partnership to expedite the delivery of the Melbourne Airport Rail project to ensure it opens before Melbourne’s third runway in 2031. 

I ask that both governments ensure the Melbourne Airport Rail project achieves meaningful outcomes that benefit our broader community, not just commuters. This includes: 

1. the full delivery of the Sunshine Station Masterplan – a catalyst for transformation of Melbourne’s west, 
2. the development of the three State Government-owned sites (Station Place, Sun Crescent and Southern Village) to provide urgently needed housing and job opportunities, 
3. the rebuild of Albion Station incorporating improved and safer commuter access from either side of Ballarat Road
4. the delivery of the East Keilor Train Station, and
5. A new direct bus service between Sunshine Station and Melbourne Airport while the airport rail is under construction. 

For decades now, the construction of the Melbourne Airport Rail has been considered by successive governments; it was finally announced as a joint commitment by both the Federal and State Governments in 2018. However, despite a number of funding promises, project works are yet to commence. In 2024, an independent mediator recommended that government should “continue works at Sunshine Station to transform this into the major transport hub it was planned to be,” yet the million people who live in the west are still waiting on a start date. 

The current infrastructure delays have created uncertainty in the west’s investment market, obstructing economic development across the region. By fast-tracking the Melbourne Airport Rail, the Federal and State Governments can send a strong signal to the development market – driving the transformation of Melbourne’s west, including the Sunshine CBD and the 44-hectare Albion Quarter urban renewal precinct. This is a catalytic opportunity to reposition Sunshine as a key visitor economy hub. 

The Sunshine CBD is strategically located in the heart of Melbourne’s west, less than 15 km from the Melbourne CBD and Melbourne Airport. The Sunshine Precinct is included on Infrastructure Australia’s list of priority projects with an abundance of land ready for residential and commercial development.  

The State Government has identified Sunshine as the centre of Melbourne’s booming west and a key economic hub, with the capacity to create 29,000 jobs and attract 43,000 new residents by 2051. 

It is critical that works start now, to ensure the Melbourne Airport Rail and the Sunshine Precinct are delivered in time to service the many thousands of people commuting to and from the west.   

I urge the Federal and State Governments to set clear timelines for these projects and urgently prioritise the delivery of the projects in full. This transformation investment is the Government’s one opportunity to unlock the full potential of Melbourne’s west to benefit communities near and far, now and for generations to come.