Council Calls on Government to Abandon WestConnex Dive Sites
Thursday 2 March 2017
Inner West Council this week called on the State Government to abandon any further consideration of WestConnex Stage 3 construction dive sites in Lilyfield and Leichhardt.
Administrator Richard Pearson said the Council resolution passed at Tuesday’s meeting rejected the suitability of both proposed construction dive sites at 7 Darley Road and 29 Derbyshire Road based on the findings of a Council report undertaken by consultant engineer Jim Holt.
“The Holt report to examine the feasibility of WestConnex Stage 3 dive site options for tunnelling works in the inner west found both sites to have significant issues,” he said.
“Based on this analysis and close consultation with the community, I do not support either option and have informed Sydney Motorway Corporation that Council’s preferred position is for no dive site to be located in the densely populated Leichhardt or Lilyfield area,” he said.
Mr Pearson said the Council resolution calls on the NSW Government to not proceed with either the Darley Road, Lilyfield or Derbyshire Road, Leichhardt options or any other dive site in this area.
“The report clearly shows both options examined present major problems in terms of road safety, noise, traffic and other impacts on local residents, school students and the wider community,” he said.
“These include the traffic issues that would result from using the Darley Road site including significant problems with key intersections,” he said.
“The Derbyshire Road site would have significant impacts on the adjacent high school, cause the loss of heritage buildings and lead to high numbers of truck movements which could have safety implications for up to 1,000 school children.”
Mr Pearson said he has asked Council officers to give further consideration to the suitability of the western end of the Rozelle Rail Yards site as a potential dive site.
“This is based on the fact that the Holt report identified this site as potentially the best available option,” he said.
“While it is not Council’s job to do this, I want to have a fallback option in case Sydney Motorway Corporation continue to pursue the other sites that we have ruled out as completely inappropriate.”