Newtown's Blessing Box

NSW Greens Statement on the opening of WestConnex M8 WestConnex is one of the most expensive transport infrastructure projects that Australia has ever built. The M8 section of tollroad cost more than $4.3b for a 9 km series of tunnels and the St Peters Interchange. This polluting, private tollroad further locks people who commute in NSW into a highly tolled transport system that’s unsustainable and environmentally unsound.  The social and environmental damage of the M8 has been enormous with homes and green spaces bulldozed and communities broken up and dispersed.  Some of our inner city suburbs, including Newtown, St Peters and Alexandria have been now ringed and carved up by massive above ground, multi-lane roads which will become car parks, as traffic congestion increases and heat sinks, as temperatures rise. The amount of traffic that will be now funnelled onto local streets and to vibrant King Street is alarming. Roads like Euston Road and Campbell Road have been widened to many lanes around the perimeter of the new St Peters Interchange. This means that traffic will spill out from the Interchange and back up above ground as it is funnelled into smaller residential streets and local roads in the surrounding suburbs. The King St Gateway was supposed to protect the high street from increased traffic congestion but to date, nothing much has happened. It is unacceptable that local residents and businesses are not being provided with any clear details on this - they are understandably anxious about the impact that this tollroad and the increased congestion will have on their homes and businesses. Despite this latest opening, there is still no direct connection to Mascot airport or the Port Botany which was the original justification for WestConnex. The impact on air quality is a major concern for local residents as there will be four large pollution stacks in St Peters – with some in close proximity to St Peters Public school and near local residential apartments. The impacts for those beyond the inner city, the tolls for the M8 are huge – and tolls are being reintroduced on the existing M5 East. These tolls are some of the highest in Sydney and have made Sydney one of the highest tolled cities in the world.  Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown                                                     Abigail Boyd MLC, NSW Greens Transport Spokesperson

A look back at some highlights from the past few years.

Unlike domestic students in NSW, international students are not eligible for travel concessions.  In 2006, this was determined to be racial discrimination, but still today the practice continues. For decades students, student organisations, universities and community groups have been campaigning for international students to be able to have equal access to travel concessions as their local counterparts. Now is the time for us to finally fix this - and end this discrimination in our laws. Urge the Premier to support the Bill to grant international students travel concessions - SIGN THE PETITION HERE.