Leichhardt Council slams Sydney Ports over White Bay development

Leichhardt Council has attacked Sydney Ports starting work on the White Bay development plan for a Cruise Ship Terminal without community consultation.

The Council has announced an emergency public meeting after Sydney Ports ignored the recommendations of the Barangaroo Review and the NSW Government to conduct consultation in the surrounding area.

Mayor of Leichhardt Councillor Rochelle Porteous said: “Sydney Ports are completely ignoring the Review recommendation that non cruise uses of the terminal should be determined by Council and local residents.”

“They will, instead, push through a development that is completely inappropriate for Balmain,” she said.

Sydney Ports is in the process of awarding contracts for the demolition of the existing site and for the construction of the Cruise Terminal and Function Centre.

Cr Porteous said there are a number of issues which need to be resolved before the development commences.

“They are proposing almost no public access, little to no landscaping, no proposed ferry service, significant loss of parking in Roberts St and increased numbers of heavy vehicles through local residential streets,” said Cr Porteous.

“They will run the 500 person function centre themselves and have indicated that its use, including for external functions, will be maximised when there is not a ship at the wharf. So if residents are not dealing with the impacts of the cruise ships they will be dealing with the impacts of the function centre.”

“Some local businesses had hoped for a flow through of business from cruise passengers; however the intention of Sydney Ports is to quarantine passengers from the Peninsula by entirely fencing off their terminal access via the Crescent and an extension of the James Craig Road.”

Member of Glebe Island White Bay Community Liaison Group, Elizabeth Elenius said White Bay is the appropriate location for the Cruise Ship Terminal.

“It makes no sense to locate it at Barangaroo as it would effectively block off a large area of the foreshore for much of the year. The topography at White Bay is quite different and with the removal of the existing shed, views are likely to improve in some areas of Balmain.”

Ms Elenius said the biggest issue is public transport to and from the site.

“I’m hoping the new government will take up the recommendations of the Bays Precinct CRG [community reference group] and initiate a ferry service to White Bay,” she said.

“This could also provide public transport for Pyrmont which continues to be poorly served, and, maybe the Fish Markets. There is also an existing railway line to the White Bay site which could run light rail services to link in with the existing Lilyfield line.”

Sydney Ports said it aims to decommission the Barangaroo Terminal by late 2012, the same time they hope to open the White Bay Facility.

The public meeting will be held on Monday October 17 at 6.30pm at Balmain Town Hall.