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Congestion. It’s one of the biggest problems facing Macarthur motorists. However, Ingleburn Chamber of Commerce secretary Philip Occhiuto believes the construction of one road would go a long way to alleviating the grid lock. Last week Campbelltown MP Greg Warren said he believed the upgrade of Narellan Road – once complete – would not solve the congestion problem. He said more projects like the Spring Farm Parkway and the upgrade of the Raby Road/Hume Highway interchange needed to be made priorities. Mr Occhiuto believed the Georges River Parkway – which would link up to the Spring Farm Parkway near Wedderburn/Appin and run along the Georges River to Glenfield – would also have a “major impact” on local motorists. “Once in place it would provide another way for residents as far as Campbelltown south to get out of the area instead of using the Hume Highway or Campbelltown Road,” he said. Mr Occhuito said plans for the road had been talked about for more than four decades. However, little progress had been made. With the Macarthur region population set to boom and nearby developments like the Moorebank Intermodal set to place further pressure on local roads, the need for the parkway had become increasingly important. Mr Occhuito said the first step towards the road becoming a reality, was for the state government to incorporate it into plans. “I’m 62 years of age now and I can remember it was shown on street directories,” he said. “But 45 years since I first starting looking at this, we are no further along with the road being included in (state government plans).” Mr Occhuito said he understood Campbelltown Council and the state government owned about 95 per cent of the land the road had been earmarked to be built on. The council has not yet confirmed whether that is the case. Macquarie Fields MP Anoulack Chanthivong said the heavy reliance on one major road – like Narellan Road – was never a good solution for motorists. “If you only travel one road you will bottle neck. There needs to be options so commuters don’t choke at the one entry and exit point,” he said. “Any investment that relieves congestion in the local area is a good thing.” Mr Warren echoed his calls for a holistic planning approach for the entire Macarthur region. “My electoral boundary stops at the footy stadium (Campbelltown Sports Stadium) but there should be no boundaries when it comes to looking at regional solutions,” he said. “Narellan Road is the head of the problem but let’s work our way back. Why are people getting on Narellan Road? It’s because they have no other way to get on the M5.”

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