NSW roads minister Eric Roozendaal dismissed suggestions today that the New South Wales government was ignoring the needs of today's motorists by planning a super orbital more than 20 years away.
The government reveled the plans to build a $3bn road linking Casula in Sydney's south west, to Penrith and Rouse Hill further north.
Mr Roozendaal said future transport planning was always needed.
"This is a long term project, but we do need to start planning now for Sydney's growth and it does make sense to link the north west and the south west," he said.
But NRMA president Alan Evans said the $3bn price tag could be better spent on roads needing an upgrade now.
"Our priorities are the M4 east extension the M5 duplication and the F3 to M2, those are the three that should be funded then the F6 extension," Mr Evans said.
"The one that's beeing talked about today is a bit off into the future."