Victor P Taffa

Leichhardt Municipal Council met this week to consider a number of contentious matters that is tearing apart this close knit community.

The Greenway Coordination Strategy, Callan Park and the Rozelle Metro are three big projects that have the potential to individually or collectively defeat local MP Verity Firth at the 2011 State election.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leichhardt Council agreed to continue negotiations with the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority to facilitate the equitable transfer of care, control and management of Callan Park to Leichhardt Council.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So where does the angst lie with the Callan Park issue? The community supports the open parkland and the protection of heritage buildings on the site. The State Government supports development of the Callan Park site as a University facility and multi storey unit blocks to accommodate the Rozelle Metro project.

Nearby New South Wales Ambulance Service is also eyeing the site as well. Leichhardt Council will require funds that it does not have to maintain the Callan Park site and the State Government is applying the pressure to get what it wants.

Then there is the Greenway strategy. All was going well until Leichhardt Council realised that State Government officials are determined to rip up one of the now disused railway tracks as support for an extension of the Lilyfield light rail line to Dulwich Hill.

Leichhardt Council along with the community supports the extension of light rail along with a cycleway. Reducing the rail corridor to a single track would effectively kill of light rail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among the comments made by Leichhardt Councillors included “The Greenway Strategy was badly written and should have included light rail.”

Where does this leave the much vaunted Rozelle Metro? Leichhardt Council and the community supports light rail and the Government does not appear to. Where does sensible planning come in for the community?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gavin Gatenby, ECO Transit made the comments “There are certain disturbing aspects to the Greenway plan. Light rail should be included. The (Greenway) Masterplan would tie councils hand on light rail and was not written with any expertise.”

Some Councillors roundly condemned the Rozelle Metro as “not part of a coherent transport plan. There is no justification for this project. In order to catch a metro train a person descends the equivalent of a 12 storey building by elevator without backup escalators.”

Another Councillor added “The metro is like descending into the haze, it is ridiculous, unsuitable and won’t generate enough revenue.”

David Hunt, Manager of Rozelle Retravision store who stands to lose his livelihood to the Rozelle metro addressed Leichhardt Council and suggested that “The bus interchange is not in a good position. Sydney Metro Authority doesn’t talk to anyone.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rozelle metro also includes bulldozing Woolworth’s Town Hall store. David Hunt thought that “ Woolworth’s has heritage and economic value and employs people.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments such as “Labor is protecting the Balmain Leagues Club through the Sydney Metro” and “ It has the potential to become a white elephant” were made.

Kevin Warrell CEO Sydney Metro Light Rail “Supports the Greenway strategy and there is room in the corridor for both a cycleway and light rail plus our light rail vehicles can carry bicycles for free. The (Greenway) report ignores the operational capacity of light rail.”

On other rail related issues Kevin Warrell thinks that “separating heavy and light rail trains onto different tracks would be beneficial, makes sense and is very simple to implement. Metro Underground automated system is unnecessary and we do not support the CBD Metro.” Heavy and light rail coexists on rail corridors in Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So as the evening wore on it would seem that the stalemate between the State Government and Leichhardt Council on key issues continues, but that really personifies Government in New South Wales and the seemingly apparent discord with the community.