Sydney Light Rail: High Cross Park and 90-year-old war memorial saved from light rail interchange

A LONG and fierce battle to save a small but significant parcel of green space and its trees from destruction under the light rail project, has been won.

Environmental campaigner Rickie-Lee McLaurin Smith who has been working to save High Cross Park from the light rail project celebrates after the State Government's backflip which means the park will be saved.

Proving  that people power can move mountains – or in this case a light rail stop – the Save High Cross Park campaign has been won.

The Southern Courier reported on Thursday that the State Government had heeded the community’s call to save the heritage-significant park in the heart of Randwick.

The Save High Cross Park campaign, which dominated this year’s state election debate, became a rallying cry for discontent about the impact of the $2.2 billion Sydney Light Rail project and was a focal point for rallies and protests.

Just one of the faces of this campaign was environmental campaigner Rickie-Lee McLaurin-Smith, who painted the town orange with more than 400 giant bows – a symbol of the fight to save the 435 trees along the light rail route.

Environmental campaigner Rickie-Lee McLaurin Smith has been working to save High Cross Park from the light rail project.

The decision to relocate the High Cross Park light rail interchange to High St means that 33 of these trees have been saved.

It also protects the future of the 90-year-old war memorial on this precious strip of green space.

“This decision clearly demonstrates that people power works,” Ms McLaurin-Smith said.

The roots of this win were sown by Randwick Greens councillor Lindsay Shurey in July last year when she urged Randwick Council to fund a search for an alternate interchange site.

People taking part in the Randwick Tree Walk to save trees set to be chopped down in Randwick under light rail plan. Picture: Jonathan Ng

And it was former Liberal mayor Scott Nash who worked the alternative High St light rail interchange option, developed by Randwick Council, into the draft light rail development agreement with Transport for NSW.

Coogee MP Bruce Notley Smith and Transport Minister Andrew Constance revealed on Thursday that the platform would be moved from Belmore Rd to a new High St plaza - adopting Randwick Council’s alternate plan.

Randwick Mayor Ted Seng, Coogee MP Bruce Notley-Smith and NSW Minister for Transport and Infrastucture Andrew Constance in High Cross Park, Randwick to annouce that the park will be spared when the Light Rail is built.

The move saves the park, its established trees and war memorial, and creates a light rail stop near the Sydney Children’s Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital.

Mr Constance said the change happened through advocacy from Mr Notley Smith behind closed doors and the community’s ongoing campaign to save High Cross Park.

Trees with orange ties which were set to be removed to make way for the proposed CBD and South East light rail plan in High Cross Park, Randwick.

The Courier has followed a community campaign, which included rallies, tree walks and petitions to protect the park, since the project details were announced in December 2013.

We reported in February that Randwick Council had started negotiations with Transport for NSW about moving the interchange out of High Cross Park to High St.

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The historic war memorial at High Cross Park, Randwick. Picture: John Appleyard

This new design sees the platform moved to the corner of High St and Avoca St, next to the hospital campus.

It includes a bus interchange on Avoca St and a new paved civic space to provide a walking path between the buses and trams for passengers.

High Cross Park was the site for the Randwick light rail and bus terminus. Picture: John Appleyard

Randwick Mayor Ted Seng said the High St option was a better customer experience.

“Well done to the Minister – they have listened to the community and shown a considered approach by modifying the plans,” he said.

“The change provides an opportunity to create a new public transport and pedestrian plaza at the intersection of High, Avoca and Belmore integrated with the Randwick town centre.”

This corner of High St and Avoca St will be the new site for the Randwick light rail terminus on the side of the hospital campus. Picture: John Appleyard

High St would be closed to buses and westbound cars between Clara and Avoca streets.

Mr Notley-Smith said he had been advocating for the change since the original plan was released.

“The Transport Minister, when he sees my face he thinks ‘High Cross Park’.”

“We listened and I never stopped listening. I started as soon as the plans were unveiled to use High Cross a few years ago, I’ve been moving heaven and earth in order to get the location moved to High St … (the park) had to be preserved,” he said.

Drawing of Randwick Council working party's alternative interchange idea to save High Cross Park. Picture: Randwick Council

Major works are expected to start on High St from November 2016 to July 2017.

The Randwick terminus is due to be built in January 2017.

Construction of the $2.1 billion project starts in October in the CBD and will hit Alison Rd, Randwick in January.

The line is expected to be running by 2018 or 2019.