Media Release – 17 September 2015

Greens Member for Newtown Jenny Leong congratulated Marrickville Council for its strong decision to seek a stop work order against the WestConnex Delivery Authority’s activities at the former Dial a Dump waste dump at St Peters.

Council voted on Tuesday night to immediately issue a stop work order on the site until the WestConnex Delivery Authority could confirm the activities being undertaken are the subject of a valid development consent or a valid exemption from Council development controls, subject to legal advice.

Media Release – 10 September 2015

Greens WestConnex spokesperson and MP for Newtown Jenny Leong said today that the government’s own figures prove that the $15.4 billion WestConnex motorway project allegedly being built to ease traffic congestion for western Sydney will be a complete waste of taxpayer money.

Ms Leong was commenting after an initial review of the Environmental Impact Statement for the M4 East tunnel section of Westconnex, which went on display yesterday.

Dear friends,

After months – or is it years?! – of calling for the NSW Government to release the WestConnex Environmental Impact statement, we finally have some movement.

Today in parliament, the Minister for Planning announced that the environmental impact statement for the M4 East section of this polluting tollway will be on public display from tomorrow - September 9.

Will you pledge now to make a submission – and make your objection to this environmental and community destruction heard?

You will be able to view the EIS online (only active from tomorrow) and at 14 council and State Government offices from Strathfield to the city*.

This multi-billion road is an environmentally catastrophic project that will carve two 5.5 kilometre long tunnels under our communities, result in polluting stacks being put near our schools and green spaces, and in the long term do nothing to solve Sydney’s congestion crisis.

We’ve got 45 days to make our voice heard – pledge to make a submission now

Let’s stop this madness!

Cheers,

Jenny

PS - Are you on Facebook? Take a minute to ‘like’ and share our post to spread the word.

*The EIS will be on display from September 9 at www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au and at the following offices: 

• Department of Planning and Environment, 23-33 Bridge Street, Sydney
• Roads and Maritime Services (Head Office), Level 9, 101 Miller Street, North Sydney
• Ashfield Council, Customer Service Centre, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield
• Auburn City Council, Civic Precinct Centre, 1 Susan Street, Auburn
• Burwood Council, Suite 1, Level 2, 1-17 Elsie Street, Burwood
• City of Canada Bay Council, Civic Centre, 1A Marlborough Street, Drummoyne
• Strathfield Council, Customer Service Centre, 65 Homebush Road, Strathfield
• Ashfield Library, Level 3, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield
• Auburn City Library, Civic Place, 1 Susan Street, Auburn
• Burwood Library, 2 Conder Street, Burwood
• Concord Library, 60 Flavelle Street, Concord
• Five Dock Library, Level 1, 4-12 Garfield Street, Five Dock
• Strathfield Main Library, 65-67 Rochester Street, Homebush,
• Nature Conservation Council, Level 2, 5 Wilson Street, Newtown.

Media Release – 2 September 2015

Roads Minister Duncan Gay today announced further details for Stage 2 of the WestConnex Project, despite revealing this week that the business case is still under review. The project remains without planning approval and an environmental impact statement. His arrogance also appears to be getting out of hand.

Today the NSW Legislative Assembly debated a motion to stop all activity on the WestConnex project until the Business Case and the Environmental Impact Statements are released. The Government blocked this attempt to introduce some transparency into the project.

“Today the Baird Government refused to act in the interest of good governance or financial accountability. This Government is going to great lengths to stop any public scrutiny on this $15.4 billion dollar project,” said the Greens MP for Newtown and Spokesperson on WestConnex.

Thirty community activists attended the debate and demonstrated the community opposition to the WestConnex project.

Community Activists join Jenny Leong and Jamie Parker outside Parliament House

During Question Time on Thursday 6 August 2015, the Greens MP for Newtown and Spokesperson for WestConnex Jenny Leong called on Minister for Planning Rob Stokes to extend the WestConnex Environmental Impact Statement exhibition periods to no less than 60 days.

She asked a Question without Notice to the Minister for Planning. It read:

Given the size and scale of the WestConnex project, as well as the high level of public interest, will the Minister give a commitment to the community that the exhibition period for all future Environmental Impact Statements related to WestConnex will be no less than 60 days?

Today I asked whether the Planning Minister will give a commitment that the exhibition periods for all future environmental impact statements related to WestConnex will be not less than 60 days?

Greens MP for Newtown Jenny Leong and Senator Larissa Waters are calling for the Department of Environment to protect Green and Golden Bell Frog habitats from WestConnex.

A Roads and Maritime Services NSW (RMS) referral of proposed action to the Federal Department of Environment seeks to gain permission to use a significant portion of Kogarah Golf Club in Arncliffe for construction and tunneling for at least three years, despite including the habitat of a threatened species.

The Greens believe that people have the right to inexpensive, efficient, accessible and safe public transport. Today we called on the Labor and Liberal parties to stop wasting public money on polluting tollways and invest in public transport. 

In the interests of good governance and transparency, The Greens WestConnex spokesperson and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong has called on the Government to immediately halt the acquisition of homes and the construction of early stages of the tollway until the business case has been finalised and made public.

 “We are now talking about $15.4 billion dollars for the WestConnex tollway – an increase of $500 million from last year – and up from $10 billion from when the project was first initiated. That’s over $450 million per kilometre!” said The Greens WestConnex spokesperson and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong.