Decision details

Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Weldon –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         City of Sydney Basketball Association basketball courts, Perry Park Sporting Oval and Perry Park Recreation Centre, located on Bourke Road and Maddox Street, Alexandria, are a thriving sporting precinct, run by the City of Sydney Basketball Association and the City of Sydney Council;

(ii)        the precinct is located in an industrial area, approximately 100m from the nearest bus stop, and 900m from Green Square train station;

(iii)      there is no on-site parking available and limited parking on surrounding streets, meaning most community members who use the City of Sydney Basketball Association Courts, Perry Park Sporting Oval and Perry Park Recreation Centre facilities predominately arrive via public transport, cycling and/or walking, leaving Maddox Street and Bourke Road with unusually high cycling and pedestrian activity in an industrial area as a result;

(iv)      there is limited cycle parking and a heavily utilised car kiss and ride drop off outside the official pedestrian entry way to the sporting precinct, via Maddox Street;

(v)       Maddox Street and Bourke Road are local roads under the care and control of the City of Sydney;

(vi)      Maddox Street has a raised pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Bourke Road, adjacent to Perry Park, and a signalled crossing at Euston Road;

(vii)     on Bourke Road, there is a signalled crossing at Collins Street and a signalled crossing under construction at Bowden Street, estimated completion in late 2024;

(viii)    all crossings, signalised or otherwise, do not align with pedestrian and kiss and ride entrances to the sporting precinct, located hundreds of metres away;

(ix)      on Saturday 29 May 2024, an 11-year-old, rushing out of the Perry Park Recreation Centre following their local basketball game, was hit by a car crossing Maddox Street, ending up in hospital with injuries associated with the hit;

(x)       pedestrian and cycling safety should be at the forefront of City public design and infrastructure;

(xi)      given the new sports field opening, there is likely to be a corresponding increase in pedestrian, cycling and traffic activity around the sporting precinct;

(xii)     the City is working with Transport for NSW to reduce speed limits on all remaining local and regional roads throughout the City of Sydney to 40km/h or less including Maddox Street and Bourke Road which will be reduced from 50km/h to 40km/h from August 2024;

(xiii)    in November 2018, Council approved the City’s Cycling Strategy and Action Plan, which commits to continuing to connect our bike network supporting people to ride and carrying out improvements to make cycling safer and easier within and beyond our Local Government Area; and

(xiv)    last month, Council approved ‘A City for Walking: Strategy and Action Plan – Continuing the Vision’, which includes implementing a program of budgeted walking improvements over the next ten years such as increasing the roll out of pedestrian crossings; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         consider the streets surrounding Perry Park Recreation Centre in Alexandria when determining where to implement actions under the City’s approved walking and cycling strategies and action plans including a review of safe access closer to the main entrance of Perry Park Recreation Centre; and

(ii)        report back to Council via the CEO Update on any new walking and cycling improvements to be carried out near Perry Park Recreation Centre to make it safer for the community.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

X086655