Greens lose the Randwick light rail name game
EXCLUSIVE: A move by the Greens to have the new light rail stop outside Randwick racecourse officially named “Centennial Park’’ has been slapped down.
NSW
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A BIZARRE push by the Greens to have the new light rail stop outside the gates of Randwick racecourse officially named “Centennial Park’’ instead of “Royal Randwick’’ has been thwarted by the state government.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance will release the proposed names of the stops on the CBD light rail, which will have the racecourse stop as “Royal Randwick” despite a push from two Randwick Greens councillors and others to name the stop after the historic park situated on the other side of busy Alison Rd.
The government is expected to release the names for 30 days of consultation after the Geographical Names Board ticks off on them. Mr Constance said it was logical to let people know where the racecourse was, rather then pander to lobbying by environmental activists.
“Naming the stop ‘Royal Randwick’ just makes sense,” Mr Constance said.
“The fact is thousands of people from Sydney and out of town are going to rely on light rail to access the racecourse (and) stop names are there to make it easier for people to get around, not harder.
“Transport stations and stops around the world are named based on their location to major sporting destinations and this should be no different.”
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Randwick Green councillors Lindsay Shurey and Murray Matson had lobbied for the Centennial Park name over the racecourse name and argued that is what local residents wanted.
But Racing NSW Chief Executive Peter V’landys said it was “crazy’’ that anything other than the name “Royal Randwick” be considered.
“I think any name other than Royal Randwick would be the most mystifying decision because Randwick has been there since 1833,’’ Mr V’landys said. “It’s the only racecourse in Australia that’s got royal status. “(Without the name) you wouldn’t even know when to get off.”
The City of Sydney council tossed up some alternative names for other light rail stops which also have not passed muster, including “Hay” for Chinatown. Its suggestion for Haymarket was Rawson Place. The council also wanted the Surry Hills stop to be renamed Ward Park.
Under the government’s proposal, the 19 light rail stops will snake from Circular Quay to Bridge Street, Wynyard, the QVB and Town Hall in the city.
The trams will then travel to Chinatown, Haymarket, Central Chalmers Street, Surry Hills and Moore Park for the stop near the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium.
Then the Randwick leg will go to Royal Randwick, Wansey Stables, UNSW High Street and Randwick Junction.
The Kingsford leg will travel to ES Marks (named after the athletics field in Kensington), Kensington, UNSW Anzac Parade, Kingsford and Nine Ways.
The announcement of the names today comes after Premier Gladys Berejiklian yesterday inspected progress on the project, with more than a third of the track installed and construction now underway on the first of 19 light rail stops.
“As of today we have more than 8000 metres (of track), which is more than a third of the track now in place,” Ms Berejiklian said.
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