Councils are preparing to build a temporary  on-road cycling route along the GreenWay corridor after the NSW Government’s  refusal to support, or release plans for, a permanent pathway.

The Friends of the GreenWay group understands that GreenWay councils are marking out a temporary route which will guide cyclists and pedestrians from the Cooks River to Sydney Harbour, using signage and road marking paint.

The Friends’ group welcomed the temporary on-road route but said it was disappointing that it came after the NSW Government had refused point blank to advance plans for the GreenWay.

“It’s now been 600 days since Transport minister  Gladys Berejiklian said the GreenWay was ‘deferred’ back in September 2011,” Friends’ spokesperson Jud Agius said.

Mr Agius said it was also concerning that Ms Berejiklian had refused to release plans prepared by Transport for NSW outlining  potential options for a Cooks River to White Bay pedestrian and cycling link, which includes the GreenWay corridor.

“Significant work has been undertaken by the transport bureaucracy to prepare a detailed study but it has not been allowed  to release this work,” he said.

“Additionally, Transport for NSW has not released patronage studies which were carried out last year on the Cooks River to White  Bay route.

“With the release of the Bays Precinct report –  and activation of the White Bay precinct through the cruise passenger terminal and temporary exhibition centre developments – now is the time for a full
public debate and discussion on these plans.

“The Long Term Transport Masterplan released late  last year says the Cooks River to White Bay link was a medium term priority for  the government  so there is no need to carry out any further strategies or studies.

Read our full media release here

Inner-West councils have voted to lobby the NSW Government to support an off-road path between the Cooks River and White Bay, amid speculation that a cheaper and less satisfactory on-road option is being considered.

There’s considerable speculation that a government study for the 7.5km link has been prepared and is on the desk of Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian, waiting to be released. This study does apparently include an on-road cycleway option – in other words using existing streets with improved line-marking and signage – rather than taking advantage of the light rail corridor to build a safer and speedier off-road pathway.

It was encouraging, and somewhat surprising, that the Cooks River to White Bay link was listed as a ‘medium to long-term’ cycling priority in the Long-Term Transport Masterplan released before Christmas 2012 (note large file size). While the light rail extension construction is forging ahead, government action to progress the active transport link however has been a little slow, with some meetings cancelled last year.

Dulwich Hill light rail station under construction March 2013

The Cooks River to White Bay link is of course really another name for the GreenWay – except that it is a longer route which runs all the way to White Bay rather than the GreenWay which stops at Sydney Harbour. 

 On February 26, Ashfield councillors Alex Lofts and Lucille McKenna moved and received unanimous support for a motion stating that the on-road option was not acceptable, including because this option was already largely in place. The motion also called on the government to release the internal government planning work undertaken to date for the GreenWay so that funding and resourcing models can be pursued. The council also pushed for the bushland rehabilitation and improvements – required because of 1.1 hectares in vegetation removal caused by the new light rail stations – to happen within the rail corridor.

Two days later, Canterbury Council also supported this motion.

A similar motion was moved by Marrickville councillor Melissa Brooks at that council’s March 19 meeting and was approved. This motion includes an interesting analysis from council staff that the costs of building an off-road path should not be prohibitive, despite the government’s claims.

A similar motion is also before Leichhardt Council’s March meeting.

One piece of good news from these motions is that they are being passed unanimously, which shows there is no political divide – including among Liberal councillors – when it comes to supporting the initiative. We now await Minister’s Berejiklian’s response and the grand release of the Cooks River to White Bay link study.

Unused space alongside Bankstown line, Hurlstone Park - could be used for active transport

In late November, the NSW Legislative Assembly’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee handed down its report about how to better utilise rail corridors.

Chaired by Strathfield MP Charles Casuscelli, the committee’s inquiry should have been a good opportunity to promote the use of walking and cycling paths alongside rail corridors (including the proposed GreenWay alongside the light rail extension to Dulwich Hill). Instead, the inquiry had a very narrow terms of reference which meant it really only looked at property development within rail corridors and how to better connect communities across these corridors (rather than along them).

Despite this narrow focus, 21 out of the inquiry’s 64 submissions encouraged the committee to support using the land alongside rail lines for active transport. This included submissions supporting this option from Sutherland, Holroyd, Ku-ring-gai, Campbelltown, Lake Macquarie and Newcastle councils and from the Planning Institute of Australia and National Trust.

Unused platform and line at St Peters

These submissions generally promoted the view that rail corridors provided safe and level open space which linked important centres – precisely the sort of thing that cycling and walking paths should do. However, all pointed out the reluctance of RailCorp to support almost anything happening in the rail corridor.

To date, Sydney only has one real rail trail and that’s between Liverpool and Parramatta. Other rail trails promoted in submissions were between Sutherland and Cronulla, Liverpool to Macarthur, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and on the north shore and main north line. Of course, our very own Inner-West GreenWay was also mentioned.

Despite the high number of submissions on this issue, the committee’s report simply noted the interest in this issue and ran a few paragraphs summarising submissions. None of its eight recommendations touched on the issue.

It was a disappointing result for an inquiry which could have done more to examine how best to utilise our rail corridors.

We’ve set the time and date for our annual general meeting. We’d love members and supporters to come along.

Where: Seaview St Hall, Seaview St, Dulwich Hill (next to the library and pictured left)

When: 7.30pm-9pm, Tuesday 11 December 2012

This meeting is an important opportunity to re-cap on the year’s events, plan for the year ahead and to also appoint the office-bearers (convenor, treasurer, secretary and committee members). As an incorporated association, we’re required to hold an annual general meeting.

Please come along and take part in discussion about our important work.

In conjunction with the inner-west’s local councils, we’re achieved some major GreenWay benefits during the last year, including the erection of signage through the corridor and securing government commitments to construct small elements of the GreenWay as part of the light rail construction. But much more needs to be done to get the GreenWay built.

The Dulwich Hill community fair on December 2 will be the last opportunity for us to push the GreenWay during 2012 at a major inner-west festival.

The Friends of the GreenWay will be sharing a stall with the Inner-West Environment Group. We’re seeking volunteers to run the stall during the festival from 10am-4pm.

If you’re able to come along for as little as an hour, please let Jennifer know by either emailing her on 0417044618 or calling mhcdi1@bigpond.com

Our Marrickville Festival stall was very popular. We’re happy to give all volunteers a full briefing on the GreenWay and we’ll have lots of brochures and information to give out to people.

More information about the Dulwich Hill stall is available at http://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/community/events65140/dulwichhillfair.html?s=1993489781

Inner-west residents were today urged to push the GreenWay message before vital decisions are made on the Summer Hill flour mill development and the light rail extension’s detailed design.

The Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) will be holding a public meeting on Tuesday 20 November before deciding on the Summer Hill flour mill development. Additionally, Transport for NSW is undertaking consultation until 15 November on light rail design elements, including the layout of nine proposed stops and construction of a new Parramatta Rd bridge.

Both issues have the potential to provide important components of the GreenWay vision – allowing it to be built in stages even if the entire length is not funded by the government.

Inner-west councils have previously called for the flour mill site developer EG Funds Pty Ltd to make a contribution towards the 300m section of the GreenWay which runs alongside the site.

 Unfortunately the development:

• Doesn’t make any financial contribution to the GreenWay
• Opposes the GreenWay path being built within the development site, despite this having the potential to increase the rail corridor area which could be re-generated as bushland;
• Will over-shadow the GreenWay, with new 10-storey buildings and extra storeys on the silos to block its afternoon sun (see diagram on this page showing the mid-winter 3pm shadow)
• Won’t include any bush care sites, despite this being requested by environmental groups during the public submission process

 The PAC meeting is being held at 20 November 2012 at the Petersham RSL Club, 7 Regent Street, Petersham, with residents talking needing to register by November 14. Further details are available at www.pac.nsw.gov.au

In regard to the Transport for NSW consultation, the detailed plans contain both good and bad news for the GreenWay.

It’s promising that a small 100m section of walking and cycling path will be constructed near the Dulwich Grove stop between Hercules andNew Canterbury Rd, consistent with the GreenWay plan.

“However, if a GreenWay path can be constructed here, then it should be constructed in other parts of the corridor,” Friends spokesperson Jud Agius said.

Furthermore, access to a new pedestrian crossing alongside the western side of theParramatta Rdover-bridge will be via stairs – rather than a ramp which is more bike-friendly – while no bicycle lockers are being placed at any of the stops.

Transport for NSW is seeking feedback until 15 November on the line’s detailed design elements. Further information can be found at www.transport.nsw.gov.au/lightrail-program/inner-west-light-rail-extension Read our full media release here