Sydney Metro "Decades" Away

The building of Sydney's metro rail system will take decades to complete, New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma says.

Iemma says the city will get a metro system based on European models at a cost of A$5bn to A$6bn, news agency AAP reports.

He says the cost of the project will not be covered by the state's sale of power assets and the government will not sell further property to fund it.

The exact cost, construction time and the first route to be built will be announced in the new year.

By staff writer