Wingecarribee Council's controversial Station St documents revealed

Previously confidential documents about Wingecarribee Council’s Station St project have uncovered startling revelations, including the staggering estimated cost blowout.

The cost of Wingecarribee Council’s controversial Station Street project has blown out to a staggering $36 million.

This week, the council’s interim administrator Viv May released previously confidential documents related to the Bowral road upgrade, which has been a contentious issue for decades.

When the Wingecarribee Shire Council was given a $7.5 million grant by NSW Infrastructure in 2017, the total cost of the Station St project was $9.5 million. There was uproar earlier this year when that figure rose to $32 million. However, the recently released Economic Analysis Update shows the cost for the road upgrade is now estimated at $36 million.

The current northern entrance to Bowral features eight mature Pin Oak trees, which the project would remove. Picture: Wingecarribee Shire Council

Community groups such as the Friends of Bowral have been asking the council for clarification about the project for more than a year. They have been campaigning to view these confidential documents to understand the council’s assertion that the Station St upgrade is the only viable option for decreasing traffic congestion.

A council spokesman said the council withheld the information for legal reasons.

“The reason why these docs were previously withheld from the public was that the then council argued that some details may have inferred commercial confidence or advantage,” he said.

Friends of Bowral vice president, Peter Edwards, said the enormous increase in estimated costs was particularly shocking because the council hadn’t given any reason as to why it had blown out.

“We don’t know why it jumped up from $9.5 million to $32 million – and now it’s gone up another $4 million,” he said.

“The project is dead as a dodo because of the cost.”

A roundabout at the northern end of Station St is expected to relieve traffic congestion. Picture: Wingecarribee Shire Council

The Economic Analysis Update, from January 2021, shows construction costs alone are expected to total $33.7 million. However, former acting general manager Barry Paull previously stated the true cost would only be revealed when the project was underway.

“The actual cost of the Station Street project will not be known until the project’s design and scope are finalised and the project is put to the competitive market by the tender process,” he has said previously.

Acting deputy general manager operations finance and risk, Richard Mooney, told the council in February the increase was caused by “cost escalations due to delays in the project.”

The documents show those delays were due to a recommendation from Infrastructure NSW that the works be halted until a deal was struck between the council and Transport NSW for the transfer of land. Nearly three years after that recommendation, the Memorandum of Understanding was finally signed by both parties in December last year.

Station St would be widened to create four lanes where there are currently two. Picture: Wingecarribee Shire Council

The memorandum shows the deal struck between the council and Transport NSW for a transfer of land that would allow council to widen Station St to a four-lane road. In exchange, council would provide Transport NSW with two upgraded carparks at Mittagong and Bowral.

The documents also reveals Mittagong Station carpark will be leased by Transport NSW to the council for 15 years, after council has borne the cost of the estimated $1 million upgrade. Mr Edwards said the arrangement was unfair.

“The Government builds commuter carparks for Sydney Trains in Sydney,” he said.

“There is no reason our Council should pay to build one at Mittagong, maintain it for 15 years, and then give it to the Government.”

Community members and councillors have raised concerns over what the council would gain by transferring land to Transport NSW and whether it was financially viable.

“The memorandum of understanding shows a rather big imbalance between the land that the council is giving away in order to get back so little,” Mr Edwards said.

He pointed to suspended mayor Duncan Gair’s argument that upgrading Station St would take the burden of being a major thoroughfare from Bong Bong St to Station St. Essentially the council would be upgrading Station St to classify it as a state road, according to Mr Edwards.

The Review of Environmental Factors found the environmental impacts of the project would be minimal. Picture: Wingecarribee Shire Council

“They’re building roads on Transport NSW’s land and building carparks to give back to Transport at our cost,” he said. “It’s a strange arrangement.”

Another recently released document is the Review of Environmental Factors which involves the anticipated impact on eight 80-year-old Pin Oak trees and endangered camellias along Station St.

However, the review concluded the 156 trees being retained or replanted were sufficient to replace the 134 trees being removed.

“Council have provided a proactive and necessary replacement strategy for the lost Pin Oaks and will enable Bowral to maintain its attractive streetscape and local heritage values,” it said.

The review determined the environmental impacts of the project “are not likely to be significant” and dismissed the need for an environmental impact statement.

Friends of Bowral calculate there will be 125 less carparking spaces in Bowral if the upgrade goes ahead. Picture: Wingecarribee Shire Council

Despite this conclusion, Mr Edwards said the review was insufficient.

“The Review of Environmental Factors just gives lip service to the plants and animals but doesn’t go anywhere near the environmental issues,” he said.

He also noted the document admits the project has been assessed “without public consultation.”

Documents reveal the construction of the Station St upgrade was intended to begin this year, with the Economic Analysis outlining the project was meant to be completed by the end of 2022.

The council spokesman said an independent report on the upgrade commissioned by Mr May would be released in the next council meeting on May 12.

Mr May is also expected to give his evaluation of Station St at that time.

“That’s when we’ll all learn the fate of the Station Street project,” he said.