Sydney’s Working Port Coalition renew call to save Glebe Island
The need to save Sydney Harbour’s last remaining deepwater port has never been more important amid a full house at the site, with businesses saying their bid to stay is “not a cash issue”.
NSW
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The need to save Sydney Harbour’s last remaining deepwater port has never been more important amid a full house at the site, leaseholders’ claim, with major ships moving minerals, cement and Vivid supplies this weekend while the navy docks next door.
The hive of activity has revived calls to keep Glebe Island an active working port amid a push to turn the site into high-rise apartments.
Local businesses have warned vital economic and security activity would be lost forever if the port is shut to make way for housing as cement and Gypsum ships unloaded tonnes of building material for construction projects on Saturday and Sunday.
An Australian navy ship has also been berthed at nearby White Bay to accommodate visiting US ships at the Garden Island naval base.
Sydney’s Working Port Coalition, speaking on behalf of more than 20 business members, urged the government to consider alternative options on the table.
“At so many levels, we are today seeing a vivid reminder of why Glebe Island must remain a working port,” the Coalition said.
“The NSW Government needs to put an end to the current uncertainty by opting for a hybrid model where housing and existing port industries can coexist, similar to arrangements that exist elsewhere in the world.”
Events manager Adam Huie is known for running the weekly Saturday fireworks at Darling Harbour. He relies on the port to set up popular firework events and currently has three barges at the site packing up Vivid displays.
“There’s nowhere else for us to go … it’s not a cash issue it’s a matter of where else do you go in Sydney Harbour to do what we do,” Mr Huie said.
“Botany Bay is an ocean trip (out of the head lands) just to get to Sydney (city).
“Major infrastructure projects require the deep water frontage as well, like the Sydney Fish Market and tunnelling projects brining in boring machines which take up a huge part of the port … (Glebe Island) keeps Sydney running.”
A NSW Government spokesman recently said a review of the Bays Port precinct was underway “including its future as a working port, which has involved extensive consultation with stakeholders”.
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Originally published as Sydney’s Working Port Coalition renew call to save Glebe Island
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