UPDATE: Residents of Lithgow, Australia, are urgently calling on state and federal governments to purchase a dormant railway yard to stimulate local job growth. The Lithgow Locomotive Workshop, a site spanning 11.6 hectares, has been vacant for over five years and is seen as a crucial opportunity for economic revitalization.
Lithgow, nestled on the western slope of the Blue Mountains, currently relies heavily on the coal-mining and coal-fired power industry, which accounts for nearly 50 percent of its economic activity. However, as Australia aims for net zero emissions by 2050, concerns are mounting over the future of local employment, with over 1,000 jobs expected to vanish in the next decade due to phased industry closures.
A Lithgow Council spokesperson emphasized, “The impact would be huge” if the government acquired the old workshop and activated it for new employment opportunities. The acquisition would not only provide skilled jobs but also attract new businesses to the region. “Lithgow is at a critical junction economically,” the spokesperson noted.
Dr. Michelle Zeibots, a transport planner at the University of Technology Sydney and a resident of Lithgow, raised alarms about the potential for land banking if the site remains in private hands. “We believe that if government owns the site and leases it out to viable commercial companies, we won’t have another episode of having a huge area of our industrial land just sitting there vacant,” she stated.
Local community members are rallying for swift action, underscoring the need for immediate government intervention to secure the site for future industrial use. They argue that the acquisition would send a powerful message of confidence from both state and federal governments in Lithgow’s potential as an economic center, just two hours from Sydney.
The Lithgow Locomotive Workshop was previously owned by Pacific National, which acquired it in 2002 as part of a deal with FreightCorp, a former government-owned operator. Now, with economic pressures mounting and job losses looming, the call for action is more urgent than ever.
Residents fear that without government ownership, the land could remain unused, further threatening the town’s economic stability. They are advocating for a strategic plan that prioritizes new manufacturing and engineering businesses, turning the disused railway yard into a hub of employment and economic activity.
Immediate action is crucial. The Lithgow community is poised for change, and securing the railway yard could be the key to a more sustainable job market. As discussions unfold, all eyes are on government officials to step up and respond to this urgent call for revitalization.
