Responding to Greens MP for Newtown Jenny Leong in Question Time today, Minister for Transport Andrew Constance confirmed the government would finally release parts of the full business case for WestConnex.
The Minister’s office confirmed that the non-commercial-in-confidence elements of the business case would be released in July.
“It is clear the government is responding to significant pressure from the local community, local councils and lobby groups,” Greens MP for Newtown Jenny Leong said.
“In December 2014 the NSW Auditor General strongly criticised the governance of the WestConnex project, in particular the preliminary business case.
“Up to this point the government and the WestConnex Delivery Authority have failed to meet basic standards of transparency and good governance.
“Now, after months of community action on the streets of Newtown, St Peters and surrounding suburbs all along the route of this 33km tollway disaster, the government has committed to releasing the non-commercial-in-confidence sections of the business case in July.
“This news is a positive step forward but it still fails to meet the transparency test – why wait until July to release the business case? It remains to be seen what the government chooses to release.
“The Greens will continue to support the community against WestConnex and I will keep the pressure on the Baird Government in NSW Parliament,” Jenny said.
Question asked of the Minister for Transport by Greens MP for Newtown and WestConnex spokesperson Jenny Leong:
What has the government done in response to the December 2014 NSW Auditor General’s report into WestConnex that found shortcomings in the governance of the project and found that the preliminary business case fell well short of the standard required?
Media contact: Mark Riboldi for Jenny Leong: 0433 753 376
