North Eveleigh redevelopment: Clover Moore, Friends of Erskineville call for pedestrian bridge

With a radical transformation earmarked for an inner city suburb, set to help the delivery of Australia’s biggest technology and innovation hub, residents are crying foul over the omission of a critical piece of infrastructure.

With a radical transformation earmarked for the inner-city community of Eveleigh, set to support the delivery of Australia’s biggest technology and innovation hub, calls are growing for a pedestrian bridge linking the suburb’s north and south.

The state government recently unveiled plans to redevelop the northern side of Eveleigh into a residential, entertainment and technology hub with buildings proposed to stand up to 28 storeys high on 10ha of railway land just off Redfern Station.

The plans will support the creation of thousands of jobs and the delivery of Tech Central, a vibrant innovation precinct in Sydney’s CBD.

However, plans for long-promised pedestrian footbridge across the rail corridor has been omitted from the plans, with one group claiming their “cries had been ignored”.

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the pedestrian bridge would “help the needs of the growing community”.

Concept art of the new development at North Eveleigh, on the left-hand side of the rail corridor at Redfern.

Clover Moore said there must be a pedestrian bridge between the two precincts. Picture: Damian Shaw

“North and South Eveleigh must be connected by a bridge to allow easy pedestrian and cycle access for locals, visitors, students and workers,” she told the Inner West Courier.

Ms Moore said the council had called on the NSW Government last April to “address insufficient pedestrian and cycle capacity across the rail line” and it was currently reviewing the proposals and would soon be making a submission.

An artist impression of the Eveleigh transformation.

The area is set to become a residential, entertainment and technology hub on the doorstep of the Sydney CBD.

A lack of bridge would have ramifications further down the track, too.

“This bridge was promised by the old Redfern Waterloo Authority 20 years ago, and if the government really wants to activate this precinct, they have to improve connectivity,” Friends of Erskineville president Andrew Chuter said.

“Although 700 people have written letters to Rob Stokes, the Active Transport Minister requesting an active transport bridge across the tracks at Eveleigh, our cries have been ignored.”

The group’s petition to build a bridge has now got around 700 signatures.

Andrew Chuter in 2017. Picture: David Swift

“How will thousands of students who will get off the Metro at Waterloo get around to Sydney University,” Mr Chuter asked.

The Metro station at Waterloo is slated to open in 2024.

The development is situated on the ‘Paint Shop’ area of the precinct.

At a recent meeting on the issue led by campaign group REDWatch, a Transport for NSW representative said people coming from the new station and South Eveleigh would have to traverse through Redfern Station, and tap in and out on their Opal card, to cross the railway corridor.

Concerns have been raised that the influx of people once both the Metro and North Eveleigh development are open could have a funnel effect on Redfern Station, the one viable crossing link.

However, a Transport for NSW spokeswoman told the Inner West Courier although no bridge was planned in the short term, one could be built in the future.

“Allowances have been made to ensure any potential future pedestrian connection could be integrated within the proposed master plan, subject to government assessment and approvals,” she said.“ Existing and future crossing options will be provided at Redfern and Macdonaldtown Stations.”

The rezoning proposal for the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct is now on public exhibition and the community is encouraged to make a submission before 25 August 2022.