Community left out of Barangaroo planning process again

Last week the State Government announced they will take control of City owned land near Barangaroo.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the government’s decision to remove community oversight of the clean-up of contamination will put urban design at risk and jeopardise vital pedestrian links to Barangaroo.

“The decision has been made to take a major City responsibility out of our hand without a justifiable reason, further limiting community involvement in this vital project,” Ms Moore said.

According to the government, City owned land at Hickson Road, Sussex Street and Napoleon Street will now come under State control.

Council and the Greens are concerned with the scale of pollution under Hickson Road.

“We are concerned about the serious risk of contamination leaking during excavation and entering the harbour,” Ms Moore said.

“The scale of pollution under Hickson Road, and the risks of highly volatile pollutants buried on the old gas works site reaching the harbour, are compelling reasons to leave its control in the hands of the City of Sydney,” Greens MP David Shoebridge said.

But Lend Lease has defended claims by action groups that contamination issues are not being adequately dealt with.

Lend Lease’s Group Head of Development, David Hutton, said cleaning up the site is a priority.

“Safeguarding Sydney’s precious harbour and foreshore for future generations is a key priority for us,” he said.

But according to action groups, the processes they are using to remove toxins from the site are “unproven” and “untested”.

Mr Shoebridge slammed the government’s decisions, saying the City of Sydney has taken a “careful approach to the management of tcxins”.

“This is yet another example of the State Government overriding the local government to force through a controversial development,” he said.

Ms Moore said the government’s decision has the potential to jeopardise essential pedestrian links to Barangaroo.

“Pedestrian links are vitally important for the success of the Barangaroo development and we want to ensure that bridge and pedestrian footways will meet the high standards expected by the City for urban design and pedestrian amenity,” she said.

Ms Moore expressed concerned about plans to raise Hickson Road by 1.4 metres, which she argues will create a barrier to “tens of thousands of visitors wishing to access the site.”

“When complete, more than 20,000 pedestrians will access Barangaroo during the day and we are concerned lifting the road will create a barrier and threaten any future light rail or bike links,” Ms Moore said.

by Sophie Cousins