Transport bureaucrats circulated secret plans to slash improved safety measures at a major Sydney intersection four days after the then-minister gave public assurances that no such cuts would be made, casting aside expansive upgrades promised as a condition of WestConnex four years ago.
An internal presentation shared on November 14 laid bare plans to remove or weaken at least 14 of the 33 featured upgrades for Sydney Park Junction, at the intersection of St Peters, Erskineville and Alexandria, despite then-transport minister Jo Haylen’s office confirming on November 10 that the upgrades would go ahead as promised in 2021 after Transport for NSW’s first attempt to slash upgrades in August.
Plans to slash the upgrades were circulated four days after then Transport Minister Jo Haylen (right) promised cuts wouldn’t be made, after she and senior minister John Graham (left) were urgently briefed on the matter.Credit: Monique Westermann
The new tranche of documents, obtained by the Herald, reveal the latest proposed cuts to Sydney Park Junction, including the removal of a pedestrian and bicycle crossing once touted as a centrepiece of the upgrades. This would represent another broken promise for an inner-city community seeking safer active transport links.
An extended cycleway and new bus shelter are among the other upgrades on the chopping block, while plans for widened footpaths and raised pedestrian crossings have also been toppled as a proposal for increased car parking on Sydney Park Road is preferred.
Transport for NSW would not provide further project details when asked by the Herald, saying that investigations and designs for the junction, including active transport links promised in 2021, were not finalised and were subject to further consultation.
“Transport will work with the community and council to deliver outcomes that align with community expectations, and for the safety of all road users,” a spokesperson said.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who has played a key role in the installation of inner-city active transport links, said the state government “can’t turn its back” on the upgrades, originally due for completion in mid-2024.
“I share the community’s real concerns about a significant reduction in scope in the most recent plans that Transport for NSW released and ongoing delays to the Sydney Park Junction project,” Moore said.
“We don’t need more consultation or planning, we need the state government to meet the community’s expectations and improve safety and connectivity for people walking and riding in the area.”
A permanent cycleway on the western side of Sydney Park Road, one of the upgrades that was not axed in scope reductions last year, was completed in April. The remaining proposals are in limbo amid financing issues.
University of NSW urban development research fellow and Erskineville local Christopher Standen said the upgrades were essential for an area expecting significant population growth in years to come.
“I have seen children sprinting across Sydney Park Road and dodging high-speed traffic where the promised crossing was meant to be built,” Standen said.
“There is a high risk someone could be seriously injured or killed at this intersection because of Transport for NSW’s reluctance to follow its own safe system approach to road safety and install a safe crossing where the pedestrian desired path is.”
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