year? Or in three years’ time?”

Adding to the concern is ongoing development in the region, which is expected to further increase traffic volumes. More than 11,000 apartments are planned between Kellyville and Bella Vista stations, while major projects such as the future Rouse Hill Hospital will bring additional demand to an already stretched road network.

Mayor Byrne also raised concerns about planning changes that could see residential land rezoned for employment purposes, potentially forcing residents to travel even further for work.

“ It is simply unacceptable that it now takes longer to travel from The Gables to Norwest in the morning peak than it does to travel from Mosman to Norwest,” she said.

Council stepped up its advocacy efforts in June 2025, writing directly to Prime Minister Albanese to call for the

urgent release of the promised funding and clear delivery timeframes.

A response from Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King reaffirmed the Australian Government’ s commitment to the project. However, no timeline has been provided for when construction will begin- leaving commuters in limbo.

Windsor Road and Old Windsor Road are among Western Sydney’ s busiest arterial routes, relied upon by thousands of residents travelling to work, school and essential services each day. For many, the daily commute has become increasingly unpredictable and stressful.

Box Hill small business owner Ankit Shah knows this all too well. He says he now leaves home before 6:30am each morning to avoid being caught in what can quickly become an hour-long journey along Windsor Road.

The father of one moved to the area in 2022, drawn by the promise of a growing,

well-connected community. Instead, he says, the reality has been far different.

“ I feel like we were sold a fairytale, but what we got was a horror story,” Mr Shah said.

“ Traffic has blown out by another 20 minutes in just over a year. As a business owner, I can’ t afford to be stuck in traffic and miss meetings- time is money.”

Mr Shah also highlighted the lack of viable public transport alternatives, noting that even accessing the Sydney Metro requires additional driving.

“ The closest Metro is at Rouse Hill, which means we still have to drive there and then struggle to find parking,” he said.

“ There’ s so much development happening around Box Hill, but the roads just keep getting worse. If nothing changes, people will start looking elsewhere.”

Council’ s study of morning peak travel

times further illustrates the inconsistency and delays faced by commuters travelling the 19.5km stretch between The Gables and Norwest:

• 47 minutes( Wednesday 4 March, departing 7:30am)

• 56 minutes( Tuesday 10 March)

• 64 minutes( Wednesday 11 March)

• 51 minutes( Thursday 19 March)

• 50 minutes( Thursday 26 March)

The findings reinforce growing calls for urgent infrastructure upgrades to keep pace with development in Sydney’ s north-west growth corridor.

Residents and business owners alike are now looking to all levels of government for action- not just commitments- to address what has become one of the region’ s most pressing challenges.

For more information, visit fairerhillsfuture. com. au.

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