At the last Inner West Council meeting of 2016, the Administrator Richard Pearson committed to spending half a million dollars toward modelling the impact of WestConnex on local streets and neighbourhoods. 

“This is a welcome initiative and shows that local government shares the community’s concerns about how badly WestConnex will impact our neighbourhoods, said Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown and NSW Greens spokesperson on WestConnex.

“The RMS only plan to look at the impact of WestConnex 12 months after each stage has been opened - well after the traffic chaos and air quality impacts have occurred.  Premier Baird’s appointed Administrator has called this wait-and-see approach, ‘totally unacceptable and inconsistent with the principles of modern environmental impact assessments’ and he should know, as he has come directly from the NSW Planning Dept. 

The government-appointed Administrator of the Inner West Council, Richard Pearson, admitted at last night’s council meeting that his approaches to the Sydney Motorway Corporation have been met with complete intransigence, with the SMC effectively stonewalling Council. 

“The SMC has shown clearly that they are not prepared to negotiate in any way on even the most basic issues of resident’s safety. The Administrator stated publicly last night that he was extremely disappointed with their responses, and that in fact so far he’s got ‘nought out of ten’ on Council requests. This is appalling but not surprising,” said Greens MP for Balmain, Jamie Parker.

“Baird’s own hand-picked Administrator is being bulldozed - just like the residents of the Inner West - by this private company, set up by the Liberal Coalition government to ram through the tollroad at any cost and to operate outside the normal planning requirements of local and State government.” 

“The SMC has brazenly refused to apply to the RMS regarding Council’s proposal for a School Zone along Campbell Street in St Peters, because it is concerned that this may slow traffic along the street.  This shows a shocking disregard for our children’s safety.” 

Some good news for our community from the Inner West Council regarding WestConnex.

The Inner West Council Administrator has included a major item on WestConnex on the agenda for the  2^nd meeting which  will be held on Tuesday July 5 at 7pm at the  Ashfield  Service Centre, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield. 

The Administrator’s Minute (see full text below), states that the Inner West Council will formally adopt a position of continued opposition in the ‘strongest terms’ to the WestConnex project,  which is in line with the position of the previous three councils, Marrickville, Ashfield and Leichhardt which have been amalgamated. 

If you would like to speak on this item you are encouraged to preregister,  which will also mean you get a seat in the meeting.  You can pre-register up until 2pm of the day of the Meeting, via the Pre-Registration Form.  All those who have pre-registered will speak before those that haven’t pre-registered.