Today I drew the attention of parliament to the 12,866 submissions lodged by the community and NGOs and highlight the serious concerns about Westconnex held by the community. 

Marrickville Council voted on Tuesday night to release confidential
legal advice which suggests that WestConnex has been operating for months without any legal approval, including in the handling of toxic waste and asbestos. 

Greens Marrickville Councillors and Greens WestConnex spokesperson JennyLeong MP have called on the Minister to issue an immediate stop work or to produce evidence of the legal authority issued for the works and what environmental protections have been put in place. 

The Sydney Morning Herald reported today that Sydney is facing increasingly slow peak hour speeds. Greens spokesperson for WestConnex, Jenny Leong MP said that the Roads Minister Duncan Gay needs to shoulder the blame.

“This Roads Minister is so absorbed by his arrogant obsession with building great big dirty tollroads – like the $16.8 billion WestConnex - that he can’t see that this approach is actually causing congestion,” she said.

Women’s Health Specialist Roxanne McMurray and WestConnex Activist Pauline Lockie have been recognised for their work in their communities and will be celebrated as Local Women of the Year.

Each year the NSW Government recognises the outstanding contribution made by women across the state to industry, community and society. Local Women of the Year are selected by their local MPs.

WestConnex Activist Pauline Lockie has been recognised as the 2016 Newtown Electorate Local Woman of the Year.

With detailed reports of two new WestConnex interchanges in Camperdown and Rozelle due to be released soon as part of the recent approval by Planning Minister Stokes of the M4 East,  NSW Greens spokesperson on WestConnex, Jenny Leong MP, called for a complete review of the project.  

“Again we see this mega road tearing into the fabric of local communities bringing untenable numbers of vehicles and dangerous levels of concentrated pollution from tunnels directly onto RPA hospital and Sydney University at Camperdown.  

“We will be writing urgently to the Ministers for Education and
Health seeking their views on the Road Minister’s plans to
deliver a massive toll road interchange right on the doorstep of the university and the Inner West’s major hospital.

The City of Sydney’s independent review of the WestConnex Updated Business Case reveals that the decision to proceed with WestConnex is highly questionable, says NSW Greens spokesperson on WestConnex Jenny Leong MP.

“This report by SGS Economics and Planning shows what we suspected all along, that WestConnex is a big con with the real possibility that NSW taxpayers will be exposed to the massive risks of a failed project.

“It seems the real Benefit Cost Ratio is nowhere near the figure that Roads Minister Duncan Gay so confidently touted. In economic terms, this project just doesn’t add up and can’t be justified. 

NSW Greens spokesperson on WestConnex Jenny Leong MP, joined outraged community members outside the NSW Department of Planning on March 15, responding to the NSWgovernment’s planning approval of the highly flawed WestConnex M4 East.

Greens WestConnex spokesperson and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP congratulated Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore and Marrickville Councillors who, last night, voted to support resolutions against WestConnex. The resolutions included revoking permission that had been previously granted by Council officers for WestConnex preparatory drilling at Tempe Reserve and affirmed the right of residents to peacefully protest.

The Greens motion calling on the Auditor-General to investigate the Commonwealth funding approvals for the WestConnex was passed by the Australian Senate today.

Senator Rhiannon said: “Winning Senate support for a federal audit of WestConnex was a great breakthrough that comes on top of the release of the AEC political donations data that shines more light onto the problematic WestConnex project.

“Since 1998 two major contractors for WestConnex, John Holland and Leighton and related entities, have donated over $3 million to the major parties.

“Just last year toll road operator Transurban Holdings donated almost $18,000 to Liberal Party branches, and made payments totalling over $100,000 to a Liberal-aligned fundraising vehicle.