[Greens-Media] Sartor’s Replacement North-West Sydney Park Reserved for Freeway

[Christopher Holley]

The NSW government’s claim that the Air Services Australia site at Shane Park will compensate for the loss of half the promised Rouse Hill Regional Park ignores the fact that a large part of the Shane Park site is reserved for an extension of the M2 motorway, according to NSW Greens MP, Lee Rhiannon.

“Planning Minister Sartor has attempted to justify handing over half of the promised Rouse Hill Regional Park for housing development by pointing to Shane Park. What he has failed to say is that the Shane Park site is still owned by the Commonwealth and that it has a freeway reserve running right across it,” said Ms Rhiannon.

“Minister Sartor seems to be telling the residents of north-west Sydney that they should be happy with losing half their regional park, because they’re getting a motorway.”

“The government is falling over itself to provide windfall gains for housing developers in the western Sydney growth areas.”

“Any semblance of sensible planning for the long-term benefit of those communities has gone. Even its own experts are saying this is a bad decision.”

“The government made a promise to the people of north-west Sydney that they would have the Rouse Hill Regional Park as open space. It should keep its promise.”

“Minister Sartor may make some developers very happy in the short term but the long term social and environmental problems caused by excessive housing developments in western Sydney will haunt those communities for decades to come,” said Ms Rhiannon.

Further information: Chris Holley 0437 779 546