Victims of the long drawn-out construction of Sydney's eastern suburbs light rail could access a $100 million compensation fund under a NSW Labor government.
Opposition leader Michael Daley on Thursday said the fund "to make life a bit better" for those along the route from the CBD to Kingsford and Randwick, would be on top of the rent relief scheme already available.
"There's a tale of woe for businesses right along the light rail route," he told reporters just days out from Saturday's state election.
"Rent relief is not enough."
He said his scheme would cover capital works, remediation of property and possibly refurbishment works to increase attractiveness or marketing or businesses.
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But rules on exactly who can access the cash aren't available yet.
Mr Daley said they would be worked out in the months after Saturday's election, in consultation with affected businesses, residents and councils.
Hiscoes Gym owner Susan Kingsmill said her formerly-stable membership numbers had dipped about 20 per cent since the light rail construction began more than two years in Surry Hills.
While her 38-year-old business's annual revenue is down $150,000 she is just thankful she hasn't folded like a 40-year-old skincare centre across the road.
"(That owner) couldn't get reliable water, the jackhammers were destroying her business, there was nowhere for her people to park - so she closed up," Ms Kingsmill said.
"I feel embarrassed to be complaining when you think about what else has happened."
The 12-kilometre line - originally forecast to be completed by March - is now not expected to be ready until May 2020.
The cost - originally forecast to be $1.6 billion - could exceed $3b under a proposed deal between the transport department and contractor Acciona, The Australian reported on Thursday.
Mr Daley wouldn't say if he would sign the deal if elected premier but promised to "sit down with Acciona and see what the books say then".
The Labor leader also spent Thursday talking about another project he says is "emblematic of everything this government does" - the $730m Allianz Stadium knockdown and rebuild.
In his fifth press conference outside the stadium in just over a fortnight, Mr Daley slammed Premier Gladys Berejiklian for ignoring a 2016 report that said the stadium could have been upgraded to meet safety standards for a mere $18.2m.
Mr Daley is unable to say how much cheaper his plan to refurbish the stadium would cost but again assured voters they won't pay a cent.
Any refurbishment cost will be covered by a concessional loan to the SCG Trust, he says.
