Greens oppose the WestConnex Motorway

The Greens successfully passed a motion stating the key priority for Leichhardt Council must be improving public transport, and not implementing a polluting private WestConnex Tollway.

But Labor and Liberal candidates voted down another motion outright opposing the WestConnex Motorway, calling on the NSW Government to instead allocate the $1.8 billion cost for extensions to public transport. The move adds further fuel to conjecture a Labor/Liberal pact exists in the wake of the colourful mayoral election in September.

“The fact that the Liberals voted against this just shows once again, as expected, the Liberal councillors are refusing to stand up for their own community against the Premier’s plan,” Greens Councillor Rochelle Porteous said. “The Premier has actually admitted that there is going to be compulsory acquisition of local homes and businesses in the Inner West, and has admitted that they intend to have a loss of local planning control.

“We need to be standing up for our community on this issue. Make no mistake, the WestConnex Motorway is going to be one of the biggest threats that our community is going to face, [affecting] particularly Leichhardt, Annandale and potentially Rozelle – there can be no sitting on the fence with this issue.”

The Greens called for more detail concerning traffic modelling and information about the proposed route of the WestConnex. The party also lamented the lack of information about proposed compulsory acquisition of the motorway, and about studies done on health and amenity impacts from ventilation stacks.

The WestConnex, backed by NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell, will integrate the M4 extension from Parramatta towards the airport, with an expansion of the M5 East. The 33km new motorway will cost $10 billion, with 75 per cent of the cost of building coming from tolls.

Mayor Darcy Byrne knocked back claims he is not standing firmly enough in opposition to the WestConnex Motorway, arguing the limited amount of information provided has inhibited his decision to contest the development of the motorway.

“There is simply not enough information being provided,” Mr Byrne said. “Now the Greens may have felt very comfortable opposing something they don’t know the details of. It’s probably not a huge surprise – they say ‘no’ more often than Tony Abbott does.”

Mr Byrne has instead put his efforts into calling for the establishment of a WestConnex taskforce, including representatives of all relevant State Government agencies and all councils affected by the proposal.

“I am determined that Council legitimise concerns about the compulsory acquisition, and about what the consequences of increased residential density will be,” Mr Byrne said.

“I want those concerns to be taken seriously. The best way to do that is to get us a seat at the table to build a united front with all the other councils in the region, to demand all the voices of the local communities are heard.”