Eleventh-hour attempt to cancel Kamay Ferry Wharves construction fails

By CHRISTINE CHEN.

In an about-turn, Randwick Council voted last week to cooperate with the state government and support a ferry terminal project in Sydney’s south-east it had previously opposed on environmental grounds.

As midnight approached during Tuesday’s Randwick City Council’s meeting, Greens councillor Philipa Veitch rose to pass an urgent motion, calling for an immediate halt to the construction of the Kamay Ferry Wharves in La Perouse and Kurnell.

“The costs clearly outweigh the benefits,” read Cr Veitch’s motion.

“There will be no ferry—we know that now. It will be private operators,” she said before the Council.

“The contamination issues are a terrible concern. We know there has been heavy industry discharging chemicals into Botany Bay for over 100 years. That is sitting there in the sediment, just waiting to be stirred up,” she continued.

In a departure from its prior stance opposing the project, Council resolved to cooperate with the Government during its latest council meeting, amending Cr Veitch’s urgent motion.

“We will work collaboratively with the Government, the Aboriginal Land Council and the community through construction phase and afterwards to ensure the best available amenities, parking, traffic, infrastructure and environmental outcomes,” said the amended motion, suggested by Labor councillor Alexandra Luxford.

Wharves’ purpose, cost, size still uncertain

From its inception, the Kamay Ferry Wharves project – an initiative by the previous Liberal government – has been marred by uncertainty.

In August 2021, when the proposal was first put before the Council, a majority of councillors objected. This objection marked the first time a project classed as ‘State Significant Infrastructure’ had ever faced such opposition by Randwick Council.

Since then, the Council has passed two additional motions; one acknowledging the threats to biodiversity presented by the construction work, and the contamination risks to marine life and residents.

NSW’s own government agencies have also recognised these risks. In a submission to Parliament, the NSW Environmental Protection Agency wrote that the “nature and extent of contamination have not been fully assessed.”

While a timetabled public ferry service was originally promised to the public, the phrasing of this purpose has now morphed into promising a “water connection” across Botany Bay and a “valuable recreational resource for the community.”

Similarly, the wharves’ sizes remain unclear. Some documents say the La Perouse and Kurnell wharves will be 180 metres and 230 metres respectively, and the builder’s own website still claims that the La Perouse wharf will be 180 metres in length. But the Environmental Impact Statement has lengths of 230 metres and 250 metres listed instead. Transport for NSW stated in Parliament last year that the La Perouse wharf would be 230 metres, reflecting a blow-out in the size of that wharf.

Questions have also been raised over the transparency of the tendering process after Transport for NSW awarded a contract to McConnel Dowell before public notification of approval or Federal approval.

After Labor assumed power in March, Council passed another motion urging Premier Minns and Minister Haylen to not proceed with the project. However, cost estimates ballooned by 333% from $16m to $64m, and Minister Haylen later confirmed the government had no plans to cancel the project as doing so would incur fees upwards of $46 million.

Disappointment over failure of ‘last ditch’ motion

Lynda Newman, a long-time local resident and environmental activist, was in the audience when Cr Veitch’s motion failed.  She says that “the intent was to completely replace Philipa’s motion. It should have been called a replacement motion, not an amendment.”

“I came away from Tuesday night feeling that residents and the environment had been totally disrespected,” she added.

Cr Veitch admitted to City Hub that her motion was “last ditch”, but that she felt compelled to try given the lack of information and communication from authorities.

“We’ve been pretty much left in the dark,” she said.

“They’ve not been keeping Council briefed… coming and explaining to us how they’re going to really deal with all this.”

Mayor Dylan Parker told City Hub that “Council as of right now has a cooperative relationship with the State Government”. He acknowledged it was “unusual” for a government to sign contracts prior to planning consent and Federal approval, but admitted “it’s done…that’s an unfortunate reality.”

“Randwick Council’s position is to work with the NSW Government to ensure that the project is managed in a way that minimises any potential environmental or amenity impacts for residents and to get the best outcome going forward,” he said.