We have long known that Erko Station needs a lift. And local residents and the Friends of Erskineville are also keen to see a second entrance to the station at the southern end. It was great to able to meet up with some folks last week to talk through the options and receive their petition.

The Greens support the proposed strike action by members of the RTBU on behalf of bus drivers' call for safe working conditions and an end to the privatisation of bus services. 

Jenny spoke in Nov 2017 on behalf of the NSW Greens on the 10,000-signature petition opposing the privatisation of Inner West bus services.

Jenny and the Member for Balmain, Jamie Parker MP joined community and union members condemning this privatisation.

This week, Greens NSW Transport spokesperson, Abigail Boyd MLC and Greens NSW spokesperson on Workers Rights David Shoebridge MLC, released the following statement regarding the current demands and proposed strike of members of the RTBU: 

"The Greens stand strongly in support of this action. Bus drivers are striking because their jobs and wellbeing are under attack from the NSW Liberal Government.

"In the middle of a pandemic, we should be supporting our essential workers, not throwing them under the bus.

Greens Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP has spoken out against the Liberal governments plan to privatise more public bus services.

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.

Jenny Leong MP, Greens Member for Newtown and spokesperson for Multiculturalism today gave notice of a Private Member’s Bill in the NSW Legislative Assembly to support international students by giving them concessions on public transport.

In May 2019, Transport for NSW released a plan to finally add lifts to Redfern station. This came after years and years of lobbying and campaigning by local community and stakeholder groups like Lift Redfern and REDWatch.

After strong opposition to this original plan the government came up with 4 options for the accessibility upgrade and took submissions on these.

Information about the upgrade and the 4 plans offered by TfNSW can be found on this site - Redfern Station Upgrade - New Southern Concourse.

While the strengths and weaknesses of each of these plans varies, the community believed that they failed to sufficiently:

• Take into account unsuitability of Little Eveleigh and Marion Streets as high traffic entrances
• Provide lifts and therefor accessibility to platforms 11 and 12
• Connect North and South Eveleigh and cater to pedestrian and cyclist through traffic

To represent these concerns a new community group, ReConnect Redfern, was formed by Residents of Little Eveligh St, The Watertower and REDWatch. In consultation with other relevant stake holders, including University of Sydney, Mirvac, City of Sydney councillors and Carriageworks this group came up with an alternative design option (Option 5) and presented it to TfNSW in August. You can see that presentation here.

This plan combines elements of the TfNSW plans as well as satisfying the TfNSW requirement that only one bridge be built.

There are no excuses for this project to fall short of the community's expectations. One reason given to support the sale of the neighbouring ATP site was that the funds be used to upgrade Redfern station. The redevelopment of the site is underway and it will soon house an additional 10,000 Commonwealth Bank staff, adding pressure to the already busy station.

We have written to the Transport Minister in relation to this upgrade on two occasions. On 12th June 2019 we outlined residents' concerns regarding; The unsuitability of Marian and Little Eveleigh Streets as high traffic entrances, the absence of lifts for Platforms 11 and 12 and the inadequate width of the proposed bridge. On 26th September, 2019 we wrote again to the Minister outlining features of the community plan (Option 5) and asking that it be given due consideration by TfNSW. Our office also asked that Minister Constance meet with representative from the community groups to hear their concerns.

TfNSW released its preferred plan on November 4, 2019 which is basically the same plan as originally proposed with some additional street treatments on the small residential streets where the proposal will locate the entrances and exits to the new concourse. This plan can be seen here. 

Reconnect Redfern and other local residents groups such as REDWatch have condemned this plan as not addressing the concerns of the community and residents and have called for Transport Minister, Andrew Constance to meet with them by the end of November. 

The Newtown electorate has received key funding in the 2019-2020 state budget to progress crucial accessibility station upgrades, according to Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown 

“As a Greens MP I know that the best way to get outcomes for our local community is to work closely with residents and advocate strongly for our community to the Government – we are pleased to see that this approach has worked when it comes to delivering accessibility infrastructure for our train stations in the Newtown electorate.

“We knew that Redfern station was a high priority for accessibility upgrades thanks to years of strong campaigning from the community. We are pleased to see these upgrades confirmed in the budget following the earlier announcement, and we are in consultation with Government to ensure that all platforms at Redfern station are made accessible.

Jenny Leong MP, Greens Member for Newtown has asked the Minister for Transport to expand planned upgrades for Redfern Station to include lifts for platforms 11 and 12 to make it fully accessible.

The NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the CBD and South East Light Rail Project, it has made some strong recommendations in its recently released Report.

The significant financial and health impacts of this project have been recognised and recommendations have been made in relation to property damage and compensation as well as a call for Transport for NSW to provide ongoing mental health support.

One of the big issues that our office has lobbied for on behalf of local residents - the need for an additional stop at Wimbo Park - has been taken up by the committee with a recommendation that Transport for NSW favourably review the need for a stop there.

The Report also recognised there were significant problems with major infrastructure being built as a Public Private Partnership and recommended that the government formally request that the Auditor-General undertake a review into the effectiveness of such contracts for state significant infrastructure projects. 

It's time to put an end to major public infrastructure projects being privatised in either construction or operation.

Greens Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP, has slammed the latest sell off of land around Redfern station reported in the SMH today and called for the sell-off to be immediately stopped.

“Shamefully, this isn’t an isolated incident in our local area - the wholesale sell-off of public land around Redfern station started with the Australian Technology Park site, is happening just down the road in Waterloo, and it’s clear from these latest leaked documents that the Liberal’s privatisation agenda continues.”