Alexandria Residents Action Group Responds to the Response to New M5 EIS Submissions.

The Response to Submissions on the New M5 EIS has been released.

It is a mix of unjustified assertions, claims that are reversed in some other section, misleading statements, and statements and calculations that are outright wrong. Many objections to the M5 are not treated seriously, or are acknowledged but not discussed, or are not even acknowledged.

There are however two important admissions made Continue reading

Slides from tonight’s meeting: Alex Hotel, WestConnex, ATP, Sydney Metro and more

Slides from tonight’s meeting are here: ARAG Meeting – 20160413

To email your local MP about WestConnex, visit http://www.westconnexactiongroup.org.au/federalmp

To object to the Alexandria Hotel DA, visit https://www.planningalerts.org.au/applications/643228 or https://online.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/DA/IndividualApplication?tpklapappl=124639. See also savethealexpub.tumblr.com.

Sample of an Objection to 9 Mitchell Rd here: Objection D 2016 329 – 9 Mitchell Road web version

 

 

 

 

April agenda: Alex Hotel, WestConnex, ATP, and the Sydney Metro

Come to this month’s ARAG meeting at Wednesday 13th,  7pm, Alexandria Town Hall, for updates on:

  • Sydney Metro – it’s not just a train station
  • Updates on developments:
    • Joshua Building – McEvoy Street
    • 9 Mitchell Road (former Sydney City Mission)
    • Alexandria Hotel – this time it’s a 7 storey tower that’s being proposed
    • Studio 301
  • WestConnex – Planning Department’s response to community submissions – what it means for us (hint: nothing good)
  • Australian Technology Park – what happening?

Thank you.

To all those who came to Alexandria Sunday Fun Day today, a big thank you.

An extra thank you to those who dropped by the ARAG tent to have a chat or to sign the petition to the Auditor General or a letter to your local MP.

Questions you asked:

  • Q. Where will the tunnel go?
    A. We still don’t know. We’re not even sure they know.
  • Q. Will this make my trip on the M4/M5 faster?
    A. Not much. A few minutes, according to the Government’s numbers – and this is mostly because the tolls (an extra $10 to $20 a day) will force traffic off the M4/M5 and onto other roads – so no net improvement in congestion. And these numbers are optimistic – they don’t allow for the traffic jam that will be waiting at the end of the tunnel.
  • Q. What can we do?
    A1. Petition the Auditor General to audit WestConnex.
    A2. Send a letter to your local member. (Sample here, but doing your own is always better.)
  • Q. Can WestConnex be stopped?
    A. Yes. Melbourne’s EastWest Link was stopped. The New M5 isn’t yet approved or fully funded. There is no funding for the M4-M5 Link, and there may never be. The numbers don’t add up. Every recent toll road has lost a fortune – all of the ‘good’ ones were built years ago. On the Government’s own numbers, the New M5 will carry less traffic than the cross city tunnel, but it will cost several times as much.
  • Q. Won’t selling the poles and wires pay for WestConnex?
    A. Poles and Wires have (so far) raised $7B, and may yet raise another $6B. WestConnex will cost at least $18B – and probably a lot more than that.

ARAG will be at Alexandria Sunday FunDay

It’s almost  Alexandria Sunday Fun Day.

There’ll be a Jumping castle, rides, arts and craft, the fire brigade, competitions, prizes and giveaways, Rabbitoh’s footy skills, basketball fun, bike polo, a sausage sizzle, stalls, a doggie parade and competition, the trash and treasure blanket sale and more.

And there’ll be the ARAG stand. Drop in, and discuss what’s happening in your local community. (Like WestConnex. And the ATP. And Waterloo Metro, and what it all means for those of us who just want to live here.)

Hope to see you there.

Agenda for 9 March meeting – ATP, WestConnex, Alexandria Sunday Fun Day

The next meeting of the Alexandria Residents Action Group will be

  • 7pm, Wednesday 9 March,
  • at Alexandria Town Hall, Garden St.

On the agenda:

  • Alexandria Sunday Fun Day, Alexandria Park, 20 March, 11am to 3pm
  • WestConnex and Mirvac’s development proposal for the ATP – what now?

Alexandria Sunday Fun Day will have: jumping castle, Continue reading

ATP Objections close 29/2

Your opportunity to lodge an objection to the “Australian Technology Park Redevelopment” closes 29 February.

The redevelopment will see more than 10,000 jobs move to the ATP, in a small number of giant buildings, with no significant increase in parking or other measures yet announced to help people get to these jobs.

ARAG will be lodging an objection, and we encourage you to do so too. Continue reading