Premier Gives Public Road to Barangaroo Development

The NSW Greens are opposing the decision by the State Government to transfer the management of the highly polluted old AGL Gasworks site of Hickson Rd, Sydney, from the City of Sydney to the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA).

The City of Sydney does not have an institutional interest in delivering the oversized Barangaroo development and is the preferred authority to ensure the toxic pollutants on the site do not reach the harbour.  The regulation transferring the site was issued after Parliament was prorogued and is another example of the Government making important decisions without proper oversight.

David Shoebridge Greens MP said:

“This is yet another example of the State government overriding local government to force through a controversial development.

“To date, the City of Sydney has taken a careful approach to the management of pollution under Hickson Road.

“The Barangaroo Delivery Authority is just that, an organisation committed to delivering the over-sized Baranagroo development.

“The scale of the pollution under Hickson Rd, and the risks of highly volatile pollutants buried on the old gas works site reaching the harbour, are compelling reasons to leave its control in the hands of the City of Sydney.

“Unlike the BDA, the City of Sydney does not have a financial or institutional incentive to deliver the Barangaroo development.  We need a strong independent government authority to oversee the cleanup of this toxic site, not one that is compromised by being contracted with the developer.

“This is yet another example of the State government seeking to force through controversial decisions while Parliament is shut down.  Because the Premier shut down Parliament late last year the regulation that transferred Hickson Road to the BDA cannot be disallowed until well after the election.  This avoids necessary public scrutiny.

“If the reasons behind this transfer are genuine, why wasn’t it done while the decision could have been held up to scrutiny in Parliament?”

Contact David Shoebridge 0408 113 952