Liberal MP Pat Farmer said the public were being bamboozled by politicians with their flamboyant statements and the study was a waste of time and money because the Port Kembla Corporation had already completed its own cost evaluation for the line.

He said the Government needed to make its decision and get on with it.

``It wouldn't cost them $3 million to scrutinise the previous studies,'' he said.

``I see this happen from both sides of politics all the time: whenever they don't want to make decisions they launch an inquiry or set up a study which is a huge waste of tax-payers' money.''

Federal MP for Cunningham Sharon Bird said there had been no detailed economic or engineering work on the Maldon-Dombarton rail link for the past 21 years.

``The completion of the Maldon-Dombarton rail line is a major infrastructure project estimated to cost $550 million,'' she said.

``This is double the previous cost estimates for completing the line.''

Thirlmere resident John Macrae said another study was a waste of time.

``How much proof do they need?'' he said.

``They have already identified Mount Ousley as one of Australia's most dangerous roads and without this rail line 80 per cent of the cargo coming from Port Kembla will have to go by road.

``The roads are completely saturated now. It's grid-locked and when the Port Kembla expansion is done it's going to be a total disaster.''

Ms Bird said the Maldon-Dombarton rail link was also being considered in the development of a National Ports Strategy (NPS) by Infrastructure Australia.

Bradbury resident Bill Craig said he was working for the Department of Planning when Bob Carr planned to restart construction on the line.

``A $100,000 study was done back then on the line from Werrington to Maldon via Badgeries Creek,'' he said.