Transport NSW plan to demolish Jannali home for train carpark scrapped
It was described as a ‘bastard act’. Now the NSW government has sensationally backflipped on plans to bulldoze nine homes for a carpark in Sydney’s south.
NSW
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Homeowners facing the bulldozer under state government plans for a south Sydney carpark have had a resounding victory, with Transport NSW backflipping on its bid to demolish their properties.
The nine property owners were only informed last month that their homes would be forcibly acquired for the project near Jannali train station.
After a hard-fought three-week campaign, Liam Mulhall finally cracked a beer after the news was delivered on Thursday that his and his neighbours’ homes in Mitchell Ave would be saved.
“We’re absolutely elated we’ve stopped our homes being destroyed,” Mr Mulhall told The Daily Telegraph.
“But we were disappointed we had to be dragged through a meat grinder to achieve it.
“We’re angry that this could happen in Australia, it’s not an autocratic country.
“The support we’ve had from everyone has been incredible, not just our community but from all over NSW.
“We can go back to our normal lives after a three-week nightmare and we’ll be an even stronger community after going through this together.”
His wife Helma was similarly overjoyed.
“Isn’t it wonderful! We’re very relieved,” she said.
Miranda MP Eleni Petinos confirmed on Thursday her Liberal Party colleague, Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance, had agreed to cancel the acquisitions of the homes near the Jannali train station.
Residents were informed by Transport for NSW of the decision via phone calls on Thursday morning.
The state government and Sutherland Shire Council will now pursue a carpark at a previously-mooted site on Box Lane, with the two authorities nutting out a rudimentary agreement which could see an integrated development featuring parking, retail and community facilities.
Mr Mulhall said the Box Lane site “made sense all along”.
Sutherland Mayor Steve Simpson welcomed the move: “It’s a great win for the residents — it’s common sense.”
He said he’d spoken to the residents of Mitchell Ave.
“(The residents are) ecstatic as you’d imagine,” he said.
“There’s nine family stories there — it’s not blocks of land and bits of timber — they’re homes they’ve worked for all their lives and to have get a knock on the door saying it’s going to be acquired, as I said earlier, it’s a ‘bastard act’.”
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