Packed Community Hall moves against the privatisation of the Sydenham to Bankstown line

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A meeting of 250 residents packed Herb Greedy Hall, Marrickville to voice their opposition to the proposed privatisation of the Bankstown Rail line and the over-development along the rail corridor. 

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Alliance spokesperson, Peter Olive said, “The meeting condemned the proposed privatisation of the Bankstown train line and called on the State Government not to waste taxpayers’ money by replacing an efficient rail line to support the property developers.”

 

If the government simply replaces the existing line rather than provide rail services to areas that don’t currently have them, they will have failed the people of Sydney.”

 

The meeting opposed the over-development of suburbs along the Sydenham to Bankstown rail corridor and the pressure this over-development will put on services and facilities in these suburbs.

 

“There were grave concerns about the destruction of century-old heritage suburbs, the loss of affordable accommodation and the potential bulldozing of up to 4000 existing houses to make way for the new development.”

 

"There is real concern about a loss of service with direct access to many city stations cut and a reduction in seating per train from 896 on Waratah trains to just 378 on Metro trains.”

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Olive said, “With no clear business case or any investigation of alternatives the community have lost faith in the Berejiklian Government’s ability to build Sydney for the 21st century.”  

 

Meeting of Sydenham to Bankstown Alliance

9/7/2017 Herb Greedy Hall, Marrickville

 

MOTION 

This meeting:

 

• Opposes the privatisation and conversion of the Bankstown line between Sydenham and Bankstown

• States that the Government’s plan to replace the Bankstown line heavy rail service is a waste of tax payers’ money

• Calls on the Government to extend the Metro on the southern side of the harbour to areas of Sydney that do not currently have a rail service

• Opposes the proposed over-development of suburbs along the Sydenham to Bankstown rail corridor and the pressure this over-development will put on these suburbs

• Opposes the irreparable heritage destruction that the over-development of the suburbs along the Sydenham to Bankstown rail corridor will cause

• Demands that no rezoning occurs that exceeds the service capacity of an improved heavy rail line.

 

Passed unanimously