By Kiran Gupta and Megan Gorrey
Sydney business owners have expressed frustration at the NSW government’s most recent vow to transform Circular Quay, saying they’ve suffered from years of uncertainty about plans to redevelop the harbour front.
“We’ve been here for 35 years, and we’re never sure what’s going to happen,” Steven Duff, the owner of the stalwart City Extra restaurant, said on Monday.
City Extra restaurant owner Steven Duff says businesses need more certainty about long-vaunted plans to reshape Circular Quay.Credit: Peter Rae
“Businesses would like to have some sort of continuity of knowledge of how it affects their tenure while this is going on, so it’s quite a touchy subject for everybody down there.”
Premier Dominic Perrottet’s government promised $216 million in Tuesday’s budget towards redeveloping Circular Quay with new ferry wharves, public space and a “New York-style high line” on part of the Cahill Expressway.
Perrottet said on Sunday the changes would “enhance” the site, draw more visitors and tourists, and reconnect the city and harbour. But Labor on Monday criticised them as another “grandiose promise”, while City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the government should redirect the funds to help demolish the expressway.
Duff said the government’s lack of consultation, and years of uncertainty surrounding plans to redevelop the popular area, had hurt the shops and eateries that front the ferry wharves.
Concept designs for the proposed redevelopment of Circular Quay, which is getting $216 million redevelopment in Tuesday’s budget.Credit: NSW government
“We’ve been discussing this with the government for years. The problem is, they won’t actually come out and tell us what they really want to do. People have just said, ‘Enough’s enough’.”
Duff described plans to turn the wharf area into an “open park” as going in “the wrong direction”.
“It should be allowed to be a busy, thriving place, and they shouldn’t try to kill it, which seems to be the plan.”
Rossini at the Quay owner Anthony Liberiou also said there had been inadequate consultation and communication about the plans, which had come “at a tremendous cost to all the tenants in the area”.
Circular Quay businesses say they’ve suffered from years of government inaction on the massive project to overhaul the area.Credit: Peter Rae
“Tenants and shareholders were never involved … All I find out is through the news. It’s [the government’s] modus operandi. They keep everyone misinformed and in the dark.”
Liberiou said some business owners had experienced financial stress due to inaction on the plans. He wants the government to provide compensation to affected retailers, and flexibility for them to improve their businesses.
Business owners at the nearby Gateway centre were less worried about the government’s proposal.
Gelato Messina owner Whitney Khuu said: “It mostly doesn’t affect us a lot, more [it affects businesses] at the wharf.”
Labor’s transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said on Monday the government had made five announcements to revitalise the Quay over the past five years without an agreed design or business case.
“Unfortunately, the people of Sydney have heard this all before from the government,” Haylen said. “They’ve made grandiose promises about Circular Quay for years but have delivered nothing.
”[Circular Quay] does need an upgrade so it can be a 21st-century transport hub, but instead of real action we’ve seen reannouncement after reannouncement and review after review.“
Moore acknowledged removing the road would be challenging, but said that “city building takes time”.
The concept designs for the long-term project include new public green space and a “New York-style high line”. Credit: NSW Government
“The government should take the long view and begin creating the seamless connection between city and harbour that Sydney deserves, rather than proceeding with an interim solution that will require fixing in years to come.
“The government should use the money earmarked for this project to remove the Cahill Expressway as soon as the Western Harbour Tunnel is complete and then begin work to reroute or underground the rail line,” Moore said.
Treasurer Matt Kean said the funds in the budget would provide for some initial design work, planning approvals, environmental impact statement and community consultation before the government made a final decision.
with AAP
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