Sydney Harbour Bridge bike ramp faces backlash from western Sydney mayors

It’s North Sydney yuppies versus western Sydney battlers, NIMBYs versus MAMILs as debate continues over the government’s $40m Harbour Bridge bike ramp. See what locals had to say, and cast your vote.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has defended a $40m bike ramp for the Sydney Harbour Bridge after western Sydney leaders lashed the project money wasted on “yuppies”.

Transport for NSW this week confirmed a construction contract had finally been awarded to Arenco, and for the price of $38.9m, in 18 months’ time cyclists will no longer need to ascend or descend a flight of 55 stairs on foot.

When asked if the money could be better spent, the Premier admitted he “thought that was a lot” to spend before “looking closely at the plans”.

“It is an addition to the second most important landmark in Sydney’s CBD,” Mr Minns said.

“We have to watch costs. I think anyone who’s coming out and questioning the cost of major government projects has every right to do it.

The cycleway over the Sydney Harbour Bridge is currently accessible at the northern end only by a staircase with a concrete ramp through the middle. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“We have to scrutinise every dollar that goes out the door. It’s not our money. It’s the taxpayers’ of New South Wales.”

However, the Premier argued the government is capable of both improving disability access “as well as doing up major landmarks”.

Rush hour for cyclists, climbing the stairs in Milsons Point up to the Harbour Bridge cycleway. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“The total figure is now $800m to do up our train stations across the network for disability access,” he said.

“With a city as big and dynamic and important as Sydney … it’s important that we do both.”

Milsons Point in North Sydney has become the centre of an all-out NIMBY versus ‘middle aged men in Lycra’ war over the controversial cycleway, and the construction budget does not include an additional $7.2m already spent on eight design and consultation contracts, or a further $2.5m deal sweetener for North Sydney Council.

Premier Chris Minns said all money being spent by the government should be scrutinised. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Outspoken Western Sydney mayor Frank Carbone said the Minns Government could “build a footpath to Fairfield” for the same price it’ll pump into building the bike ramp.

He said the cost of the bike path would fund a footpath to his local government area of Fairfield, at $1m per kilometre.

“You could build a footpath from the Harbour Bridge to Fairfield with that money. Instead they want to build it on the Harbour Bridge for only yuppies so they can get their lattes,” Mr Carbone said.

Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone would prefer to see the cash splashed to solve Western Sydney residents’ transport woes. Picture: Richard Dobson

“Maybe they should put a toll on it and the money could go to upgrading western Sydney transport.”

Mr Carbone also said the cash could more practically be used to instead build the Canley Vale Leisure Centre, which he said would cater to physical rehab patients and the elderly.

“They’re building a bike ramp for 650 people to use – yet in WestInvest they wouldn’t fund our Canley Vale Leisure Centre which would be used by tens of thousands of people,” he said.

Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun said the money could be better used upgrading key roads in his electorate linking to the new aerotropolis.

“$39m would help upgrade Cowpasture Road so people aren’t driving 30 minutes to travel just 300m at Middleton Grange,” he said.

“I wonder where the bureaucrats behind it live? I bet they live near the Harbour Bridge and not out west where we struggle with traffic every day.”

Former North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson said the project is “a waste of taxpayers’ money in a cost-of-living crisis,” and will involve spending an “extraordinary amount of money to please a very small amount of taxpayers … and ruin a beautiful public park”.

The $39m “would go a long way” to funding safe, temporary accommodation for the growing homeless population living under the Harbour Bridge where the ramp will be built instead, she said.

Transport for NSW’s artist impression of the new Sydney Harbour Bridge northern cycleway ramp.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the government is already spending “record amounts” on transport in the west, “including $60bn on Sydney’s Metro revolution, $2.87b for Parramatta light rail … $300m for rapid bus, $2.1bn for the M12 and $250m to upgrade road links to the new Western Sydney Airport”.

Locals and the cyclists are deeply divided on the issue, holding strong opinions for or against the project.

Cyclists, members of the Sydney Easy Riders club and ramp enthusiasts (from left) Iain McAdam, Zlatko Tomevski, Peter McNamara and Alan Johnson. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Vocal opponent Ian Lloyd, organiser of the local Community Cycle Ramp group, said the government has ignored the objection of the 8000-plus residents who signed a online petition against it.

“Transport has also engaged in tokenism with an Aboriginal artwork relegated under the tires of cyclists and will go largely unseen by the general public,” he said.

“How can all this happen – especially after the recent transport disasters of the Rozelle Interchange and other white elephants like the Sydney Monorail?”

Duncan Geddes, who cycles over the bridge to his workplace in Woolloomooloo and back to the Northern Beaches five days a week, admitted it’s “a very large figure”, but worthwhile to fix what has become a peak-hour “choke point”.

“We’ve spent a bazillion dollars on the Rozelle interchange, and that doesn’t even work,” he said.

“I just hope the final design is sympathetic to the original architecture … we are talking about an icon in the Harbour Bridge.”

Cyclist Duncan Gerdes rides to the CBD and back every day. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Fellow cyclist Martin Bowesman, who works in Barangaroo and lives in Hornsby, has recently taken up the pedal-powered commute and said the new ramp will have “a huge impact”.

“Unfortunately running a state costs money,” he said.

“Whether it costs $50m or $100m it doesn’t really matter, as long as it gets done – and gets done safely.”

On the other side of the fence, James Linton, a dog owner who lives in the Bridgehill apartment building overlooking the ramp and Milsons Point station, said the project would remove valuable space for dogs and wreck the natural sound “buffer” the park’s tree canopy provides.

“When I was a kid in university I managed to push my bike up there,” he said.

Cyclist Richard Biswell says the existing infrastructure is “pretty okay”, and traffic is a much bigger concern than the stairs. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Local resident Caitlin Rawnsley will lose her workout spot. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I don’t think the government should be spending tens of millions of dollars building a ramp that very few people use, that will take away the limited green space we have.

“Wouldn’t the local residents prefer updated schools, education and health?”

28-year-old Caitlin Rawnsley comes to Bradfield Park to work out three times a week, from her home a couple of blocks away. Shutting off the park would come as a significant loss, she said.

“It sounds like a waste of money to me,” Ms Rawnsley said, “especially when it seems to be working well enough as is.

“We’re lucky to get so much greenery this close to the city, and it’s getting less and less.”

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