28 September 2015

In this week's update we look at the travel changes in the CBD, Powerhouse Petition Callout, The White City DA, Protecting Biodiversity, and Public Housing Antisocial Behaviour

Massive changes to CBD public transport

From 4 October changes to routes and schedules will affect how you get to and from the city, especially the northern end. Your usual bus may be no longer running or the route changed. Many inner city bus passengers will have to change to trains or other buses to get to the northern part of the CBD. I urge you to check your options beforehand, telephone the Transport Infoline 131 500 or check the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info – change the date to after 4 October. You can also use the bus route finder at http://mysydney.nsw.gov.au/bus.

Road work for CBD light rail starts 18 September in Alfred Street, George Street, Rawson Place and Eddy Avenue, as well as Chalmers Street, Devonshire Street and across the Eastern Distributor and through Moore Park to Anzac Parade. Information: 1800 684 490. For complaints about the work, call the 24-hour Construction Response Line 1800 775 465. 

Save the Powerhouse Museum

We’ll be collecting more signatures for the Save the Powerhouse petition in the Ultimo/Pyrmont area shortly – we need several hundred more to reach the 10,000 needed to trigger a debate in the Parliament. Please contact my office if you can help out next Thursday (8th of October) after work. You can download and print petitions and collect your own from HERE or at the Pyrmont Community Centre. 

Hakoah Club DA

The Hakoah Club has submitted a Development Application for the White City site at 30 Alma Road Paddington, to be determined by the Joint Regional Planning Panel, with assessment by Woollahra Council. The proposal includes new internal roads and parking, tennis courts and football field, along with a sports building next to Glenmore Road with basement car parking, a clubhouse building and a café. The proposal includes facilities for outdoor tennis and soccer, indoor swimming pool, sports hall, gym, health studios, child care centre registered club and community facilities. I will review the proposal and make a submission – traffic, parking and heritage are key questions. Please let me know any concerns or send me a copy of your submission due 22 October. Details are HERE.

Protecting Biodiversity

In Parliament I spoke about the need to protect biodiversity, the variety of plants, animals and micro-organisms in the environment, which is important because it supports human life, clean air, clean water, fertile land and pollination of plants. Review of the legislation, moves to allow the sale of Crown Land and renewed push to reduce logging and clearing restrictions threaten our future and we need robust, principled, scientific-based, enforceable laws for future generations. My speech: www.alexgreenwich.com/biodiversity_conservation

I support the New Deal for Nature campaign and will work with the campaign group (Nature Conservation Council of NSW, WWF-Australia, National Parks Association of NSW, Humane Society International, The Wilderness Society, Total Environment Centre and Colong Foundation for Wilderness): www.nature.org.au/media/172083/a_new_deal_for_nature_web_final.pdf. 

Supporting Social Housing

In Parliament, I spoke on the Residential Tenancies and Housing Legislation Amendment (Public Housing—Antisocial Behaviour) Bill. These changes are designed to help get action on those doing the wrong thing not the great majority of social housing tenants who are good tenants and good neighbours. I’m pleased that the minister responded to my concerns about making sure the tribunal process is fair and the changes don’t hurt tenants who may be ‘stood over’ by people causing problems. I called for better health and other support services to help when people are in strife. My speech is HERE.