Inner West Council calls for reopening of Glebe Island Bridge

INNER West Council is calling on the NSW Government to revise the environmental impact statement for Hanson’s concrete plant so the Glebe Island Bridge can be opened permanently for walking and cycling.

A concept image showing what the Hanson concrete plant will look like at Glebe Island.

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THE relocation of Hanson’s concrete batching plant from Blackwattle Bay to Rozelle could jeopardise the reopening of the Glebe Island Bridge.

In a report, Inner West Council staff also slammed the State Government for its “continued failure to examine the cumulative impacts of all developments in the Bays Precinct”, which include multi-user facility, work sites for WestConnex and the Western Harbour Tunnel.

The council has called on the Government to revise the environmental impact statement for the plant “to address the permanent reopening” of the bridge for walking and cycling.

Council staff said the EIS contained insufficient detail on the precise location and access to the facility to provide certainty it would not impact on its reinstatement.

“It is considered that both access to the site and the specific location of the concrete batching

plant has the potential to jeopardise, or at least delay, the reinstatement of Glebe Island Bridge

as an active transport link,” the report said.

A map showing where the Hanson concrete plant will be located at Glebe Island.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said its reopening would enable Google to create an innovation hub, which would entice leading technological companies and universities to the Precinct.

Last year Google cited a failure to upgrade public transport as the main reason it ditched its plan to relocate its headquarters to the White Bay Power Station.

“The Government promised us an Australian Silicon Valley in White Bay,” Cr Byrne said.

“Three years on, the Bays Precinct is nothing but an empty concrete cavern.”

A Transport for NSW spokesman said providing safe and connected bicycle networks within 10km of the Sydney CBD is a key initiative in its Future Transport 2056 plan.

“In the medium and longer term, (the plan) has identified the need to investigate improved connectivity and public transport options for the precinct including light rail,” he said.

A Department of Planning spokeswoman said: “The Department has provided clear assessment requirements for (Hanson) to carefully consider and address, including the cumulative impacts of the proposed development with other developments in the vicinity of the site during construction and ongoing operation.”