Cowra joins the call for better Blue Mountains crossing

In a mayoral minute, Cr West said his council should write to the NSW Government and Opposition calling on them to work together to develop a long-term plan that will provide a quick transport link to the biggest city in the country.

It comes after plenty of discussion in Bathurst about the state of the Great Western Highway over the Blue Mountains, including blunt criticism from long-time transport operator Graeme Burke.

It also follows hours-long delays on the highway over the Easter long weekend when part of Bells Line of Road was closed following landslides caused by heavy rain in March.

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Cr West said his council's letter to the NSW Government and Opposition should make the point that improvements to the Great Western Highway and Bells Line of Road are not considered to be satisfactory solutions to the efficient movement of people and freight.

He said the recent closure of Bells Line of Road "has once again shone a spotlight on the inadequate connections between the central west region of NSW and Sydney".

"Cowra Council and all councils in the region have for decades been pleading with state and federal governments to commit to the planning and delivery of a safe, swift transport corridor," he said.

"Whilst there have been some improvements, the reality is that these improvements are not a long-term, robust, visionary solution.

"This is not just about us getting access to Sydney but also about Sydney getting access to the regions to allow us to grow.

"Many hundreds of thousands of dollars and enormous amounts of time have been spent in studies and investigations into upgrading the Bells Line of Road as a primary link, however, even this objective has stalled."