Clover Moore launches legal challenge to State Government over “inadequate” compensation from WestConnex acquired property

SECRECY surrounds the City of Sydney’s legal action against the Roads and Maritime Service over inadeqaute compensation offered for compulsorily acquired property at Sydney Park.

City of Sydney wants more compensation for a slice of Sydney Park acquired by the State Government.

• Rotten egg smell hits WestConnex
• WestConnex: Workers wrongly identify house for demolition - twice!

THE City of Sydney has launched legal action against the Roads and Maritime Service over compensation offered for compulsorily acquired properties.

The City has commenced two sets of proceedings in the Land and Environment Court over the amount of money offered by RMS for land acquired by the body for the State Government’s WestConnex project.

Land along Bourke Rd in Alexandria and parts of Sydney Park in St Peters are to be handed over to the RMS for the ­project – a freehold interest and leasehold interest ­respectively.

The City has objected to the amount offered by the body for the land to be compulsorily acquired, seeking further compensation for the sites.

Clover Moore has kept the amount sought by council secret.

Christine Forster said the legal challenge would be a “shameful waste of ratepayers’ money”.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore would not comment on how much had been ­offered for the parcels of land or how much the City was seeking from RMS.

Liberal councillor Christine Forster submitted a question to the Lord Mayor ahead of Monday night’s monthly council meeting.

Councillors were informed of the action taken by the City in February.

“Information regarding these legal proceedings is confidential,” Cr Moore said in her response.

Cr Forster labelled the court action as a waste of money and called for co-operation between the City and the State Government.

“Rather than more shameful waste of ratepayers’ money, the Lord Mayor should be working with the State Government to deliver this state-significant project,” she said.