News in brief

Carrington Road cycleway completed

This week the Carrington Road cycleway in Marrickville is expected to be completed. The cycleway, an initiative of Marrickville Council, provides a cycle link between the Cooks River and Marrickville Station. The route will create a new link in Regional Cycle Route 05, which runs from the Cooks River to Camperdown. “The designated cycle path makes the otherwise potentially dangerous high traffic stretch along Carrington Road much safer! The new cycleway will give commuters more confidence to make the journey on two wheels,” Mayor Jo Haylen said. “The link will also mean friends and families will be more likely to ride together for fun and exercise. I want to encourage our residents to get out of their cars and test out the new cycleway with a picturesque ride along the Cooks River.”

Waverley Council considers amalgamation

Waverley Council has this week announced it will consider all options presented by the NSW Government’s ‘Fit for Future’ reforms, including amalgamating with other councils. Waverley Mayor Sally Betts noted that the NSW Government has offered a package of $153 million for councils who voluntarily merge, however the Mayor also said she required more information before proceeding. “We need more information because there appears to be criteria for scale and capacity, which we do not fully understand,” Mayor Betts said. Regardless, Mayor Betts said it was important for Waverley Council to be involved in the state government’s plans for local government reform. “It is in the council’s and the community’s best interests to be part of this conversation about structural reform, otherwise we risk not having a say and letting change happen to and around us.”