CBD chaos as Metro bores ahead

by Michael Gormly

Construction zones for the Rozelle to Central Metro rail line will take over key areas of Sydney until 2015 and require the demolition of at least one heritage-listed building in the CBD and two buildings near Union Square in Pyrmont.

But we don’t know which Pyrmont buildings and the new Sydney Metro Authority, led by former RTA boss Les Wielinga, isn’t telling. The project has been approved under the unpopular Part 3A Planning laws which override heritage and environmental safeguards.

‘Indicative’ construction zones in Pyrmont would be on the corner of Mount and Miller Streets, the whole of Union Square and ‘staged’ works in Union Street (see picture on page 6). Cut-and-cover shafts 35’40m deep would lead from these sites down to the station area. Heritage items such as the WW1 memorial and Pyrmont Post Office will not be ‘permanently affected’. The announcement may overlap with Council’s upgrade of Harris St, soon to begin in the same area.

Construction zones near Town Hall would require the demolition of the heritage-listed Australasian Federation League building on Pitt St (now a McDonalds restaurant) and also a large block of buildings on the diagonally opposite corner which has a Lowes store at street level.

Martin Place would be cut by a similar zone on the west side of Castlereagh St and a staged zone on the eastern side.

At Central, the interstate bus terminal would be relocated during ‘significant interventions to heritage buildings associated with Central Railway Station’ and the construction zone would occupy the whole of the roundabout car and bus area off Railway Square.

Combined with the redevelopment of Centrepoint along Pitt St Mall, and the fallout from the Barangaroo redevelopment, this construction could make the CBD a very noisy and dusty place for many years.

With plans well advanced and construction to start next year, community consultation will begin next month.

Residents and businesses along the 60-metre-wide rail corridor would ‘soon be receiving letters,’ said Transport Minister David Campbell.

‘Residents and business owners will be given the direct number for an information officer (Place Manager) who will answer their questions about the project,’ he said.

‘Just because a property falls within a corridor, it does not mean there will be a railway tunnel constructed directly beneath them ‘ the tunnels will actually be 20’35 metres below the surface.’

While it appears public consultation is occurring after the event, concerned residents can take heart from the Preliminary Environmental Assessment Plan, which assures that the ‘CBD Metro Product’ will be ‘customer-focused’ and ‘fully integrated into its urban context and existing transport infrastructure.’

Even better, ‘maximum use will be made of web-based communications and other innovative community engagement procedures to provide people with improved access to information.’

An information line has been established (1800 636 910) as well as a website ‘ sydneymetro.nsw.gov.au, from which the assessment plan can be downloaded.

The 7km line, to be operational by 2015, would have stations at Rozelle, Pyrmont, Barangaroo/Wynyard, Martin Place and Town Hall Square, with a future site reserved at White Bay.

Trains would operate from 5.30am to midnight or 1am on weekends, arriving every 2’3 minutes during peak times and five minutes during the day. Platforms would have opening screen doors and the 13 five-car trains would be automatic and driverless and run through twin parallel tunnels.

There is significant opposition to the Metro with several transport planners and local councils preferring expansion of light rail, which they say would do a better job for a fraction of the cost and impact, while the money saved out of the $4.6 billion budget should be spent on expanding Sydney’s heavy rail network.