Residents of the southern suburb have been pushing for an upgrade to the station for decades.

At one stage – in 2009 – it finally looked as though the sets of stairs would be replaced by lifts.

That was when the then-Labor government announced funding for it but complications led to delays in construction.

Those delays went all the way up to the 2011 election, which Labor lost.

The incoming Liberal government pulled that funding – or reallocated it, depending on what side you’re on.

And that’s where things still stand seven years later.

There has been no sign by the current government as to when Unanderra’s turn might come.

We are told the government has a “transparent” system to rank the stations in order of priority.

And yet, every time the Mercury has asked to see these rankings, or even just asked how far down the list Unanderra sits, no answer is forthcoming.

Hardly sounds like transparency to us.

Now, everything may well and truly be above board when it comes to the rankings, but it’s so easy to be skeptical when the scoring system on which decisions are made is kept hidden.

Since the Liberal party formed government, it has funded lifts at 40 stations. It’s really hard to believe that all 40 of those were ranked higher than Unanderra.

It’s also hard to believe other factors aren’t at play when it comes to choosing stations. Witness Transport Minister Andrew Constance promising upgrades at five consecutive Central Coast stations if the Liberals are re-elected.

Four of those stations are in the marginal seat of The Entrance, now held by Labor.

Could it be this promise has been made to sway voters rather than based on the stations’ actual rankings?

It’s hard to conclude otherwise.

The government can say they choose upgrades based on merit, but sometimes it really doesn’t look like they are.