City of Sydney delays light rail payments after clash with Transport NSW over safety
CITY of Sydney is withholding a $63 million light rail payment after a series of clashes with Transport for NSW. At the heart of the conflict are safety concerns over a secret flood risk report and a bizarre disagreement about the council’s Cloud Arch sculpture.
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CITY of Sydney is withholding a $63 million light rail payment after a series of clashes with Transport for NSW.
At the heart of the conflict are safety concerns over a secret flood risk report and a bizarre disagreement about the council’s Cloud Arch sculpture at Town Hall.
The council, which is contributing $220 million towards the light rail venture, was to make a payment last December but did not receive a claim from Transport for NSW because the independent certifier did not deliver a certificate to confirm the project was meeting “design and construction obligations”.
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The Daily Telegraph understands City of Sydney wants to withhold the $63 million payment until its safety concerns are resolved.
The Telegraph also understands there has been discontent at Transport about the decision to allow the council’s planned $11.3 million sculpture to encroach on the safety zone around the tracks.
The clearance zone is meant to be 2.1m wide but the Cloud Arch has been allowed to be just 1.4m from the tracks.
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The council’s major concern is that Transport for NSW has not appropriately responded to a flood risk identified in George St.
The department has conducted a flood mitigation study but is refusing to release it or reveal any of its contents. A spokeswoman told The Telegraph it would be made public once it was approved by Planning.
“Our aim is to ensure light rail construction improves localised flooding, not further contributes to it,” she said.
A third area of dispute centres on right of way in pedestrianised parts of George St. City of Sydney said the original agreement stipulates pedestrians must be given preference over vehicles but Transport for NSW claimed this would not be allowed by road rules.
Independent councillor Angela Vithoulkas said Transport for NSW and the council were at war because of “poor planning”. She said City of Sydney should not hand over any more money to the government until safety concerns were addressed.
“The city has extensive knowledge about flood prone areas of the city … If Transport has not heeded these concerns, then the people of NSW should be very disappointed,” Ms Vithoulkas said.
Councillor Kerryn Phelps agreed safety was the highest priority, saying the Cloud Arch should not be allowed to intrude on the safety zone around the light rail.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore declined to comment.