Inner West Council administrator Richard Pearson calls on Mike Baird to take a “local approach” in addressing concerns over WestConnex

INNER West Council administrator Richard Pearson has accused the State Government of failing to address individual concerns over WestConnex.

The first meeting of the new Inner West Council in Sydney was shut down after hundreds of chanting protesters refused to allow the council's administrator speak.

INNER  West Council administrator Richard Pearson has accused the State Government of failing to address individual concerns over WestConnex.

Three months after he was spat on during the first meeting of the new Inner West Council, Mr Pearson he was spending significant time fielding residents’ complaints about the motorway.

He said the council was powerless to act on many of the issues flagged, and the onus should be placed back on the State Government.

“I want to put the pressure back on the State Government to deliver these things rather than it taking up 70-80 per cent of every council meeting,” he said.

“There are a range of issues the council should be dealing with, but to have the entire agenda consumed by WestConnex and with the very limited ability of a council to control it is not appropriate.”

Mr Pearson said he has taken a “quite adversarial” position to the WestConnex project, in line with the position of the forcibly merged Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield councils.

He said his standpoint had come as “some surprise” to the State Government that appointed him to the job.

The newly-appointed WestConnex compliance officer could appease some concerns within the community, he said.

Mr Pearson was infamous spat at by protester Nicky Minus at first amalgamated Inner West Council meeting.

The State Government funded position began three weeks ago.

“His job is to oversee compliance with conditions of approval with the WestConnex project,” Mr Pearson said.

“They are the only people who have the legal power to enforce that consent.

“That is a big win — having a person based in the local government area who can sort out a dust issue or noise issue.”

A spokeswoman for Roads Minister Duncan Gay noted the Sydney Motorway Corporation has delivered around one million letterboxed updates to residents and held community information sessions to discuss the project.

But Mr Pearson said he’s approached Premier Mike Baird and Mr Gay to take a “more local approach” to address individual concerns.

“There are a lot of people who say to me ‘there are things they could be doing differently that might make me feel better about it’,” Mr Pearson said.

“When they’re acquiring people’s properties there needs to be a more sensitive approach.”