Motorway Background

The Westlink M7 was planned over several decades.  The 2001 Environmental Impact Statement provides a history of how the project evolved.

The County of Cumberland Planning Scheme (1948) and the Sydney Region Outline Plan (1968) both established the principle of green belts, open space and service corridors in western Sydney.  Seven corridors were established.  Construction of the Westlink M7 was consistent with one of the original purposes of the corridors being the reservation of land to accommodate major urban infrastructure.

The Sydney Area Transportation Study (1974) proposed the need for an outer metropolitan highway and confirmed a corridor for its route. 

The Liverpool to Hornsby Highway Strategy Study Final Route (1993) was prepared to identify a preferred route for a future national Highway linking the M5 Motorway at Prestons with the F3 Freeway at Wahroonga.  The preferred route was announced by the Commonwealth Minister for Transport in April 1994.

Action for Transport 2010 – An Integrated Transport Plan for Sydney (1998) identified transport projects to be completed by 2010. The plan included completion of the Westlink M7 by 2007.

The Environmental Impact Statement was placed on public exhibition in January 2001 and the Minister for Planning approved the project in February 2002. Construction started in July 2003 and the road was opened to traffic in December 2005.

Click here for pages from the 1970 UBD Street Directory.  Map section reproduced with permission of UBD.  Copyright Universal Publishers Pty Ltd DG 01/06.