The Light rail will play a central role in the future of transport in Sydney. The NSW government hopes that it will ease the pressure on Sydney’s roads by reducing the city’s reliance on buses. In 2012 the NSW Government began the extension of the Inner West Light Rail line and announced the CBD and South East Light Rail project. Contracts for the CBD South East Light Rail project were signed in December 2014. However, communities are rising up to protest against the removal of buses, trees and the damage it will do to their society.
Cause of the issue:
The NSW government believes that it is necessary to build a Light rail in the CBD and the South Eastern suburbs. Their reasons are meeting future demand and reducing CBD congestion. …show more content…
The South East could be the most heavily affected area, and the light rail will actually decrease public transport to the region. Along the whole precinct it’s impacted in terms of significant reduction of public transport activity, with twenty bus services being removed from the area. Many believe that the implications of the light rail service will be dire for Sydney’s South East. “It doesn’t increase public capacity, in fact the figures are that they’re spending 2.2 billion dollars to slash public transport to Randwick, Kingsford and beyond to the South East by over 10,000 passenger capacity an hour. At the same time they’ve proposed rezoning up to 1100 hectares from Moore Park to La Perouse for up to 20 storey high rise, including 20 hectares of Randwick race course.” With the Sydney Morning Herald reporting on the November 10 that the cost for the light rail was likely to go $600 million over the original budget of $1.6 billion, “It’s costing over $180 million a kilometre, so if you think about it that’s $180 000 a metre. This is above the ground, virtually no tunnelling and it costs $180 000 a metre. There seems to be a disease in NSW where public infrastructure costs more than any other state,” he …show more content…
The group’s aim is to force the Government and the light rail company to abandon the planned route from Anzac Parade to Chalmers Street, via Devonshire Street. They want to cut right through the middle of a parkland, demolish homes, and go up a very narrow street. The Surry Hills community is concerned about the heavy impact on businesses and residents, including the acquisition of 59 apartments and potentially more. There is a concern that key landmarks such as Bourke St Bakery and The Book Kitchen in Devonshire will be closed down. They just wouldn’t be able to operate during the demolition or construction period, which could be anywhere between six to 10