Christopher Brown: Five ideas that would make Bradfield proud
SYDNEY is booming, but we’re facing increasing “reform fatigue” and development inconvenience as the community suffers dislocation caused by major projects, road closures and noise. But better communication about why it’s important is key, writes Christopher Brown.
Project Sydney
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It’s that time of year when The Daily Telegraph honours our greatest engineer, John Bradfield, who delivered the Harbour Bridge and underground railway network, and stimulates big thinking about the Emerald City.
Sydney is in the grip of the fourth great infrastructure period in the past 100 years. Call it he “Berejiklian binge” with WestConnex, NorthConnex, Parramatta and Sydney light rail, Northwest and Southwest Metro, Badgerys Creek Airport, Moorebank Intermodal, Barangaroo, Westmead Hospital and Parramatta Square approved and/or underway.
One problem we face in the current “boom town” that is Sydney is reform fatigue and development inconvenience — as the community suffers dislocation caused by major projects, road closures and noise. This needs to be met by better communication about why we are fixing the joint up to meet and manage the future for our kids.
Project Sydney: A Sydney of three cities
The other big problem is complacency, thinking we have a full dance card. But the job is only half done.
I present here a few more ambitious projects that will unlock our economy, build social cohesion, improve our environment and make Sydney a truly global city.
1 West Metro Rail
Parramatta is officially the city’s second CBD, but the rail link between it and Sydney is groaning under the weight of demand. Sydney urgently needs state, federal and private sector funds for a high-speed WestMetro rail line, initially from Wynyard to Westmead, to allow a 15-minute transfer of commuters, business people, students and tourists.
This “steel spine” project must be prioritised, to be delivered by 2025 to open up jobs, affordable housing and access to major events along the Olympic corridor.
2 Garden Island Cruise Ship Terminal
As The Telegraph reported last week, yet another committee is calling on the Commonwealth to share Garden Island with the booming cruise-ship industry, to accommodate the super vessels that cannot fit at Circular Quay or get under the bridge to White Bay.
The Navy’s selfish approach cannot be tolerated any longer. We need a new long-term home for this darling of the national tourism industry.
3 Liverpool & Campbelltown hospitals
The population explosion in southwest Sydney has huge social consequence — including 50 per cent diabetes rates. An obvious response is to expand Liverpool Hospital and to build a new paediatric facility at Campbelltown — complementing the medical and educational facilities on site and boosting the downtown economies of both cities.
4 Complete Sydney Olympic Park
With a new management authority, and light rail and metro rail links coming, Olympic Park can finally meet its potential.
The Premier must deliver Mike Baird’s promise to the NRL and FFA to rebuild ANZ Stadium as the greatest rectangular stadium on Earth — a worthy Bradfield ambition — and upgrade Spotless Stadium for cricket and AFL fans. We also need a convention and exhibition centre at the RAS Showgrounds (as the new Darling Harbour ICC is such a success Sydney is losing business), and the town centre must be developed to ensure a community, not just a precinct.
5 Liberate Sydney Airport
As NSW Tourism Minister Adam Marshall wrote last week, Canberra must relax the absurd bureaucratic shackle of an 80 movement per hour cap on the nation’s premier gateway, Sydney Airport.
Adam Marshall: Get ready for the world
No planes will touch down at Badgerys until 2026 and, in the meantime, the artificial limits on the most important piece of infrastructure in Australia is economic lunacy and tourism suicide.
Let’s make these projects happen and make John Bradfield proud by channelling his ambition for this magnificent city of ours.
Christopher Brown is executive chairman of Taylor Street Advisory and a governor of the Bradfield Partnership.