[Greens-Media] PREMIER’S ROAD PROJECTS ARE A SHORT-SIGHTED ERROR OF JUDGEMENT

[Jamie Parker]

Commenting on the State Infrastructure Strategy released by the Baird government on Tuesday, Jamie Parker MP, Greens member for Balmain, has welcomed news of $2 billion for schools and hospitals, but raised concerns about billions of dollars being spent on roads.

“Announcing road project after road project is not visionary. In the past 40 years, successive Labor and Liberal governments have focused on motorway construction with little new public transport infrastructure. The result is a city at peak congestion,” says Mr Parker.

Today’s announcement also confirmed money being earmarked for a “Western Harbour Tunnel” which would run from Rozelle to the M2 Motorway.

“Residents are rightly anxious about the siting of exhaust stacks. Neither Labor nor Liberal State Governments have proven they care about the health and amenity of the community when placing polluting activities in residential areas.

“Residents in Balmain, including students at two primary schools, near the White Bay Cruise Terminal are experiencing serious health impacts yet the government continues to ignore the community.

“While the rest of the world has realised building more freeways and motorways is a mistake and are scrambling to fix this error by building extensive public transport networks (including for moving freight), NSW is stuck in a time-warp.

“What’s needed instead of this illogical piecemeal approach, is a strategic long-term vision to create a world-class, liveable city where people can move freely, safely and cheaply.

“In the inner west light rail extension has been a staggering success. A tram line can carry 7500 people an hour, compared with a general road lane that can carry fewer than 2000 people per hour.

“I urge the government to further expand light rail including along Parramatta Road and to the Balmain Peninsula. That will be visionary and a truly strategic, long-term, public-transport-based approach to transport infrastructure in NSW.”

For further comment from Jamie Parker, contact Lesa de Leau 0413 581 603.