Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Kok –
It is resolved that:
(A) Council note:
(i)
the State Government’s announcement that
construction will soon begin for the Western Sydney Metro;
(ii) that this announcement detailed seven proposed new stops, with an additional two stops at Rydalmere and Pyrmont being investigated as strategic station options;
(iii) that Pyrmont/Ultimo is the third densest area in Australia after Melbourne CBD and Potts-Point/Woolloomooloo, with more than 16,000 people per square kilometre;
(iv) As the city’s daily population grows to 1.7 million people in 2036 and 2 million in 2050, capacity constraints in public transport place the liveability and productivity of our city at risk unless the Government invests significantly more in mass transit;
(v) the City’s draft Local Strategic Planning Statement, currently on public exhibition, notes that the Innovation Corridor, which forms part of the City Fringe Area, could accommodate up to 53,800 additional jobs by 2036;
(vi) the Innovation Corridor incorporates the Camperdown-Ultimo Health and Education precinct and areas within Pyrmont featuring knowledge-intensive business clusters vital to the District’s ongoing economic success and global competitiveness;
(vii) there is significant congestion on roads, buses and trains at peak times in and around Green Square, given its position at the head of Sydney’s global gateways (Sydney Airport and Port Botany) and the Eastern Economic Corridor;
(viii) the City’s draft Local Strategic Planning Statement envisages over one third of residential growth in Sydney will occur in the Green Square Urban Renewal Area, which will accommodate around 60,000 to 70,000 people when the area is expected to be fully built out by 2036; and
(ix) the City’s draft Local Strategic Planning Statement confirms the importance of new Metro West stations at Zetland (Green Square) and Pyrmont to serve existing and forecast populations and to connect valuable employment sectors and their workers.
(B) the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:
(i) write to the Secretary of Transport for NSW, Rodd Staples, welcoming the announcement of more public transport for Sydney and noting with concern the lack of confirmed stops for Pyrmont and Zetland (Green Square); and
(ii) identify resources required for the City of Sydney to undertake a public advocacy campaign calling on the State Government to include stops at Pyrmont and Zetland (Green Square) for the Western Sydney Metro, and report back to Councillors via the CEO Update.
(C) the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Premier and Minister for Transport welcoming the announcement of more public transport for Sydney, however calling on the NSW Government to urgently confirm that stations at Pyrmont and Zetland (Green Square) will be constructed in stage one of the Western Sydney Metro.
Carried unanimously.
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