“Stop right now, thank you very much!” Glebe public meeting tells NSW government.

A very well attended public meeting organised by the Coalition of Glebe Groups and the Greens’ Jamie Parker was held at the Glebe Town Hall on Monday night, 20 June. The meeting was called to inform residents about the impact of WestConnex on Glebe/Forest Lodge. The speakers were Jamie Parker, State Member for Balmain, Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of City of Sydney, Wendy Bacon, Investigative Journalist, Mat Hounsell, Transport Specialist, Anton Crouch, Geologist and Doctor Victor Storm, Public Health specialist.

The meeting unanimously passed a resolution calling on the State Government to immediately cease all work and all contract negotiations on WestConnex until the findings of the Australian National Audit Office which is now investigating the project are announced.

The more than 200 residents who attended the meeting heard that WestConnex’s plans for the Glebe/Forest Lodge section of the project are yet to be finalised but will likely involve road tunnels running beneath our suburb, road interchanges centred around the Rozelle Goods Yards and on Parramatta Rd near Ross St, and pollution stacks located somewhere in Glebe. WestConnex has commenced geotech drilling in Arundel St in preparation for the road interchange in the area. Independent Business Case Studies have shown that the project has not been properly costed and has limited overall value. WestConnex is likely to reach traffic capacity within eight years of its completion and is seen as an outdated and flawed solution to Sydney’s transport needs. It will have an adverse impact on the inner west with increased traffic movements forecast on Parramatta Rd, Victoria Rd and the Anzac Bridge. The overwhelming view is that the $16.8 billion price tag would be far better spent on public transport.

The meeting unanimously passed a resolution calling on the State Government to immediately cease all work and all contract negotiations on WestConnex until the findings of the Australian National Audit Office which is now investigating the project are announced.