The signs of infrastructure collapse in Sydney keep coming yet nobody in government seems willing to connect the dots.
Two more dots this morning are this call by Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey for a second airport in Sydney and warnings that the Hungry Mile development could clog Wynyard station.
But if the bigger picture is looked at, nothing happening to rail users or air travellers compares to the consequences of banishing working ships from a harbour that former Premier Bob Carr was determined to make safe for the café latteratti through waterfront retail and residential developments.
The inadequacy of the Port Botany solution has forced container truck hell onto suburbs that either have to be gashed open with future motorways or avoided with much more costly tunnel projects like the stillborn M4 East plans which are on a scale not yet seen in Australia.
Efforts to divert some shipping to Port Kembla or Newcastle are dragging the woeful rail and highway links to both into chronic failure mode.
The lunacy is most obvious in the State Government, where the Premier Morris Iemma clings to an insupportable set of convictions:
- A Federal Government will spend mega billions overcoming a massive tangle of gorges between Sydney and Williamtown (past Newcastle) to provide 300 kilometre an hour rail trips to an airport nobody will use and Infrastucture Minister Anthony Albanese says he can’t have anyhow;
- An airport several hours from anywhere in Sydney with no infrastructure links will somehow cost less financially and politically than Badgery’s Creek, which is close to a motorway that has already been built and on land the Commonwealth bought for that purpose, and
- Melbourne and Brisbane will not overlook the gold plated invitations to take all the jobs and growth opportunities that the quadruple crisis in air, rail, road and maritime links to Sydney is handing them.
If he lasts long enough in the job the only transport infrastructure that Iemma will open this year will be a botched three station underground railway between Chatswood and Epping which has tunnels too steep for most trains to use anyhow, and may yet prove a health hazard to any passengers until fully sealed carriages with adequate air circulation become available.
Here we go again – NSW means Sydney – an airport ‘hours’ from Sydney…hogwash
Yes up here in Newcastle we find it fanciful too, just another flight of fancy (pun sort of intended) and political distraction.
But have a look:
An international airport sharing runway and airspace with a major RAAF base – home of the FA/18 superhornet and JSF(..maybe) and by gosh land already owned by the Commonwealth..20mins to Australias 6th largest independent city (as opposed to a ‘CBD’ in urban sprawl)
150Ha industrial area being rezoned around the current airport with capacity for defence/aerospace industries and other airfreight related business – a skilled workforce looking for further diversification of a growing regional economy.
At its doorstep under-developed tourist markets one of the largest wine areas in Australia, World Heritage Areas, beautiful mid-north coast and beyond, Newcastle coastline, Port Stephens, a Sydney Harbour sized waterbody (sorry new Dam near World Heritage Forests)..sssshhhhhh – but you’re a travel writer so you know this region.
Department of Planning settlement strategy for the Lower Hunter aiming for an additional 150,000 population by 2020 – average house price $310K, Sydney bursting at the seams with median house $520K.
…and all the focus on is the ‘ridiculous’ notion of a VFT and a few sandstone gullies and hills – the grand excuse of the grandfather centralists. My god modern rail infrastructure waisted on regional NSW. Despite promises of passenger and freight rail improvements for years (remember Transport 2010???) and a Newcastle-Sydney Flyer now 30mins slower than in 1930 (or something like that), a large port which puts out a few boats full of coal…for now.
Please… Western Sydney – clubland, hoons, man made lakes, roads, traffic snarls..masterplanned estates, Hillsongers….and of course the motorway – a parking lot just waiting to be filled.
Such a wonderful welcome to LBJ’s land of the middle class.
and all we see is a VFT which could only possibly be used to ferry travellers to Central Station – no room of course for commuters able to work on the train, wired remotely to the office, opening up the wonders of Sydney to the next most populous area.
Ben I grew up and have hated the place for 30 of my 32 yrs – but havig returned i’m starting to take a shine to it. Newcastle and the Hunter has a lot to offer in its own right and has always had to create its own opportunities – there are far more potential users of a VFT than an international airport but if thats what it takes, well a few more cashed up tourists to deposit in this part of the world wouldn’t hurt – we’ll be happy to raid some of the Future Fund.
But your right – no votes to win here.
Rennie
Rennie, I’ve loved the Hunter since my Dad used to take me up there overnight when he was on the colliers in the 50s. Sometimes treated to the Newcastle Flyer on the way back. Based on the growth and attractions of the greater Hunter the shared use of Williamtown with the RAAF will push the limits in the coming decade or two and this would be a good time to secure a new site, even though it will be irrelevant to Sydney’s own problems.
My guess is that Sydney will just choke and the rest of the country will get on with life, taking the growth it can’t handle.