A big day for the GreenWay
June 2nd, 2012 at 16:58On Thursday, May 31, some 75 GreenWay supporters gathered at NSW Parliament to hear a debate between MPs sparked by the collection of some 10,000 petition signatur
es. Labor MPs Carmel Tebbutt (Marrickville) and Linda Burney (Canterbury), Greens MP Jamie Parker (Balmain) and Liberal MPs John Sidoti (Drummoyne) and Gladys Berejiklian (Willoughby and Transport Minister) spoke during the debate, which is now available on Hansard. Strathfield Liberal MP Charles Casuscelli was in the chamber but did not speak.
Ms Berejiklian continued to blame the former Labor government for the non-progress for the GreenWay, despite the fact the Coalition government has now been in office for 15 months. Earlier in the day, the government announced the signing of the contract for the light rail extension, without any GreenWay, in a move that was clearly designed to remove media momentum from the debate later that afternoon. The fact that the government made the announcement in this fashion, and the fact that Ms Berejiklian took the unusual step of participating in the debate and directly addressing the GreenWay supporters in the public gallery, shows the impact that the GreenWay campaign is having.
Despite the media reporting the next day indicating that the GreenWay was effectively finished, the comments from the Minister in Parliament showing that she is examining active transport options for the inner-west - along with information the Friends have heard about the government looking at a ‘White Bay to Cooks River Active Transport Corridor’ – shows that the GreenWay concept is still alive and has tremendous merit. It might also be well worth looking at the Opposition media release on the issue. We will be continuing our campaign for this very important initiative. If anyone is keen to join our committee, please email fotgmedia@gmail.com
June 2nd, 2012 at 18:51
Good that you can see something positive, FoGW… Marrickville Council issued a press release on friday, which was a little more sanguine:
“The Mayor of Marrickville Councillor Morris Hanna said he was disappointed that Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian and Member for Drummoyne John Sidoti reiterated that the GreenWay proposed shared pathway for cyclists and pedestrians would NOT be resurrected.
The emphasis is mine.
So what next? I’m am going to come back to one of the points I raised in an earlier post. Why are the Councils and FoGW holding out a begging bowl to the State’s taxpayers anyway? Leichhardt in particular is a very wealthy area. Its council is awash with cash from its punitive parking meter revenue. Why can’t it cough up for something which it claims in in its own propaganda is so important – green active transport?
If it pro-actively got together with the others councils, levied the developers at Lewisham and Summer Hill (and more to come, developers will arrive at the entire light rail corridor like bees to honey), then we could have the GreenWay.
Canada Bay Council has done it. Why won’t Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield? Is it because the luvvies on those Council refuse to even countenance talking to developers? They prefer “Just say NO!” campaigns, and then cry poor?
Well, we are the losers. Everyone. But especially cyclists and believers (like me) in sustainable transport options.
I think the FoGW should choose its “friends” a bit more carefully next time. With Jamie Parker, Rochelle Porteous and the Mayor of Ashfield involved, last thursday’s loss was always, sadly, inevitable.
June 3rd, 2012 at 07:41
The Active Transport Study is being done by the Department for Transport, in Matt Faber’s (ex RTA) Active Transport section.I heard about this at Leichhardt’s last Bicycle Committee meeting. Leichhardt Council is coordinating efforts with the other councils. The study is to look at the costs and benefits of alternatives to the Greenway, with “a more modest” approach, which I take to mean without the tunnels at for example Old Canterbury Rd and Longport St that are really needed to get a direct flat route. They would be looking at how the alternatives could fit in with the Council’s existing or proposed “active transport networks”. I take this to mean, but could be wrong, that they will be looking at onroad routes like Hercules to Denison to Toothill St etc. They did say that the proposed footbridge across Parramatta Rd for light rail access would still be available for cyclists, but cyclists would probably have to ramp up and down to it. Also, where new paths lead to light rail stations, cyclists would be able to use these.
The project is still being set up but should start soon and is due “at end of year”. There is to be some community consultation, later in the year.
June 3rd, 2012 at 08:35
Time to break from State politicians. We have given Labor and the Greens a lot of coverage with no positive outcome for the Greenway. We must now “start with the end in mind” before any future actions are undertaken.
I believe we need to focus on tourism; this needs to be both locally, through councils and chambers of commerce, and the large hotels.
Eco trails around the world are tourist based and the Greenway will have economical benefits that will offset the cost.
June 5th, 2012 at 08:16
You are spot-on Geoff Pollard. Those politicians have used you. They use the idealism and activism of campaigns like the Greenway to both get press for themselves, and recruit party members.
In this case, they have manifestly failed you. The problem with this campaign was that Jamie Parker and Rochelle Porteous’s involvement made the failure inevitable. Their cynicism is incredible.
Leichhardt Council is presently begging for funds (Callan Park, Greenway) from taxpayers, yet can effortlessly find $100,000+ and fund a residents Nimby group, to fight a development at Rozelle.
Meanwhile, Canada Bay Council, by taking a more proactive approach with developers, has limited car use, got beautiful parkways, cycle facilities AND an amazing cycling and pedestrian bridge at Rhodes – with no taxpayers money involved.
And NO scheming politicians like the ones in the FoGW failure.
June 8th, 2012 at 15:17
It’s odd that some people are oblivious to the dire financial situation the NSW government is in… If anyone is in any doubt, check today’s front page from the Herald. Odd too that others like FOTGW are so intent on pursuing a cash-strapped State for funds while the Councils which join the GreenWay simply refuse to cough up.
And what was the point of aggressively charging at the Transport Minister over funding costs? If you were trying to make an enemy, you succeeded. Politicians may be thick skinned, but they do not appreciate publicly having their integrity attacked. Whoever was advising you (and I do think I know him) led your group wildly astray. But no doubt he was well satisfied with his work.
Unfortunately, by entering the political fray in such a partisan way, FOTGW has betrayed those of us who would have benefitted from the GreenWay.
The Greens are good for one thing and one thing only: extreme Nimbyism. But Nimbys get nothing delivered. No infrastructure, not even cycleways.
I would advise you disband. FOTGW are now too tainted with that party’s negative agenda. Ditch the scheming politicians and start again.
June 9th, 2012 at 14:50
You probably don’t need to hear from me again, but something I read in this week’s Inner West Courier just emphasised my (and others, it seems) point… In the “conversations from the web” section, they include someone (a familiar name to the Friends) bitterly attacking Strathfield MP Charles Casuscelli.
Now no matter how intense the disappointment must be, can’t anyone stop and think before they press “SEND”?
What is the point in making enemies? If you are a community group asking for funds, you work cooperatively WITH the people who have those funds.
I’m sorry to sound so critical, and I’ll understand if you decide not to post my comment, but the Friends campaign is a case study on how NOT to run a community lobby. Politicians are not your friends. They may be useful for some things, but their interests are not yours.
Problematically, the Friends of the GreenWay is now seen as closely aligned to Jamie Parker. If Jamie Parker had any role whatsoever in the government, or any influence on treasury decisions, that might be of some use.
But he doesn’t, and never can have. He is unpopular with the government and this is NOT an Adam Band situation… Even more than Labor, the Coalition do not like his party’s policies (that’s putting it mildly), and are doing everything they can think of to undermine him. Having him (and Rochelle Porteous, who also spends much of her time attacking the government) act on your behalf was a mistake, one which has cost our inner west community dearly.
Now tell your supporters, ever so eager to se this comments or letters in the local press, to think. At least, just for a minute.
June 10th, 2012 at 16:05
OK, no one is interested in the Active Transport Study ? The Councils are backing this, in conjunction with DfT, so this is the only game in town now.
It isn’t very transparent though, no details of who is doing the study or what input if any the community might have. I see FOTGW has made a submission asking for “temporary” sign posted routes on local streets in the general Greenway corridor.
If these were linked up and joined across council boundaries, and done to a high standard, we could have at least much improved commuter links between Cooks River and Iron Cove / Anzac Bridge.
Is FOTGW lobbying DfT to get involved in the ATS?