By Sean Nicholls, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 May 2011

THE Planning Minister, Brad Hazzard, has called an immediate halt to new development applications made under a controversial policy designed to boost affordable housing for low- and middle-income-earners, and announced amendments to the scheme while a new policy is developed.

By Rhys Haynes, the Daily Telegraph, 16 May 2011

An alternative route for the $7 billion North West Rail Link has been rejected by the State Government, as federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese made it clear the Parramatta to Epping link should remain a priority. Parramatta Council proposed the North West line be diverted to Parramatta instead of Epping to save the State and Federal Governments up to $2 billion.

By Sky News, 30 March 2011

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says he's appointing himself minister for western Sydney to ensure the area is given priority under the new government.

This would bring western Sydney's 'significant' economy to the forefront of the political agenda, Mr O'Farrell told Fairfax Radio network on Wednesday.

By Radio 2GB News, 8 March 2011

News Headline: Speaking at an economic development forum in Parramatta, NSW Opposition Leader, Barry O'Farrell, has said that he is inheriting an unprecedented infrastructure backlog from the Labor Government. He insists that the Epping to Parramatta rail link won't be scrapped but admits that he won't be able to address all of the state's problems and he will need to prioritise. (Click here to download audio ...)

By ABC News, 7 March 2011

News Report: The major state political parties have outlined their plan for expanding Sydney's rail network. Both Labor and the Liberals have promised to build the North-West rail line. However Labor won't start building it for another six years, it's priority is to build the Parramatta to Epping rail line first. It's scheduled the Western Express and City Relief Line by 2018 and to finish the South West rail line for which no track has been laid. If the Coalition is voted in, it will attempt to divert Federal funding from the Parramatta to Epping rail line to start work on the North-West rail line before 2015, build the South-West rail line, and all other projects would be decided by Infrastructure NSW.