Council welcomes NSW Govt scrapping of planned dive site

“This is a big win for Council and community advocacy,” said Administrator of Inner West Council Richard Pearson.

The NSW Government had planned to locate at WestConnex dive site at either Darley Road Lilyfield or Derbyshire Road Leichhardt – which is adjacent to Leichhardt Campus of Sydney Secondary College.

Council immediately commissioned a report by consultant engineer Jim Holt, which found that both sites were unsuitable and had significant issues.

On the basis of this, Inner West Council told the NSW Government that plans for these dive sites were “untenable”.

“The report clearly showed both options presented major problems in terms of road safety, noise, traffic and other impacts on local residents, school students and the wider community,” Mr Pearson said.

“So the announcement this morning that at least the site adjacent to a high school will not go ahead is very welcome.

“Had this plan gone ahead, there would have been an unacceptable number of truck movements which could have had safety implications for up to 1,000 school children,” Mr Pearson said.

There would also have been a loss of heritage buildings.

“What I don’t want, however, is to find out that the NSW Government – having ruled out Derbyshire Street - is now going ahead with the Darley Road site,” Mr Pearson said. 

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 alternative dive site.

“This is based on the fact that the Holt report identified this as potentially the best available option,” he said.

“While it’s not Council’s job to do this, I want to have a fall back option in case Sydney Motorway Corporation continues to pursue the Darley Road site that we have ruled out as completely inappropriate,” Mr Pearson said.