One step too many: Tempe Station ramp to be saved

Transport Minister Andrew Constance has intervened to save a ramp at Tempe Station, preserving access to the rail network for those unable to climb steep flights of stairs.

The Herald on Friday reported on the intention of Sydney Trains to close a ramp, which had been opened temporarily while stairs at the inner west station were being refurbished, once work on those stairs had finished.

Glenn Redmayne at Tempe station, where the access ramp was going to close but will now remain accessible.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

In closing the ramp, Sydney Trains would be denying people in a wheelchair like Glenn Redmayne, who has lived in the area for about 15 years without being able to use his local station, access to the city's rail network.

Following publication of the story, however, Mr Constance pushed for Sydney Trains to commit to maintaining the access point permanently.

"There is nothing more important that any government can do than ensure that people with disability, in particular, have access to transport," the Minister said. "It is the biggest human rights barrier that exists in this regard."

For Mr Redmayne, the previous refusal of Sydney Trains to consider retaining the ramp was evidence of a failure of authorities to focus on solutions to accessibility problems, rather than their own processes.

"I would like to thank the Minister for recognising the sense in leaving the ramp there," said Mr Redmayne, who works at Inner West Council.

"I think the pattern that I’ve seen in all of this is that even though it seemed really clear and of benefit, the practices seem to be pulling the outcome toward non-accessibility.

"While this is a good outcome we’ve really got to look at how we got to this point and that he needed a ministerial intervention."

An Auditor-General’s report in February showed the state government would not meet its obligation under national law to make all rail stations and ferry wharves accessible by 2022.

A Sydney Trains spokeswoman said: "The ramp at Tempe Station will remain in place, and be made permanent, after refurbishment work on the footbridge is complete."

Colin Hesse, a Greens Inner West Councillor who had been campaigning to keep the temporary ramp, said: "It’s great news, but of course the issue of accessibility for everyone in the inner west and greater Sydney is still to be resolved, and there should be urgent action on that as well."