Greens move to establish Rozelle Interchange Inquiry
The NSW Upper House is likely to undertake a formal inquiry to examine the impacts of the Rozelle Interchange on local communities when Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and transport spokesperson, moves to establish the inquiry in NSW Parliament this afternoon.
Ms Faehrmann is Chair of the Legislative Council Portfolio Committee 6 - Transport, which will undertake the inquiry should it be formed.
“Since the first day the Rozelle Interchange opened, it’s been chaos for tens of thousands of Sydneysiders and an absolute disaster for the residents of Balmain, Rozelle, Lilyfield and the rest of the inner west who can’t get to work or their kids to school on time,” said Ms Faehrmann.
“Yesterday I spoke with the Government and the Opposition on the importance of an inquiry into this issue and it looks like there is broad support for it to succeed.
“Inner west residents deserve to know what the future holds for them and whether their local streets will ever be the same again.
“People who live near the interchange are far worse off than before it opened. After years of construction noise and roadworks, this is unconscionable for the local community to now have to experience this.
“So far, the Government’s only response has been to shift one bottleneck in one local road to a bottleneck in another local road”, said Ms Faehrmann.
The below Terms of Reference for the Inquiry will be debated today:
(1) That Portfolio Committee No. 6 – Transport and the Arts inquire into and report on the impact of the Rozelle Interchange, and in particular:
- the impact of the Rozelle Interchange on traffic flow, including the prioritisation of traffic from toll roads including WestConnex over local traffic,
- the impact on the efficient and on-time running of buses, ferries and all other public transport,
- the social, environmental and economic impacts of the Rozelle Interchange project on impacted communities,
- the impact on foot traffic and active transport options, including due to the closure of Rozelle Parklands,
- the cause of asbestos detected in the Rozelle Parklands and the adequacy and appropriateness of the responses by government agencies and contractors to reports of asbestos in and near the Parklands,
- all solutions to ease the congestion and gridlock that the opening of the Rozelle Interchange has created, including the impact of the Western Harbour Tunnel after opening,
- the adequacy of Transport for NSW planning, resource allocation and public communication in the period leading to and directly after the opening of the Rozelle Interchange, and
- any other related matter.
(2) That the committee report by 20 June 2024.