Festive Cheer at the Watch House He Balmain Association Held Its Annual Christmas Party, on Saturday 8Th December at the Watch Thouse
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the Newssheet of the Balmain Association PO Box 57•Balmain•NSW•2041 www.balmainassociation.org.au Vol 54 No 1 Issue 350 Founded November 1965 March 2019 Festive Cheer at the Watch House he Balmain Association held its annual Christmas party, on Saturday 8th December at the Watch THouse. Many members and friends took advantage of this second opportunity to view the exhibition “Life and Death in Balmain”. On show were the past industries, the Balmain Cemetery, many personal observations of the “old Balmain” and a video which gave an insight into Balmain’s past. Below: Life member Kathleen Hamey and BA president Duncan MacAuslan had time for a chat in the sun whilst members Sue Hilton, Val and Kathleen Hamey and treasurer John Symonds enjoyed the usual delicious spread. Reminder: Nominations for 2019 Built Environment Awards are now open. The awards celebrate the local area’s rich cultural and architectural heritage and will close Sunday 3 March 2019. The awards will be held at Kirkbride Theatre and Foyer, Sydney College of the Arts, Balmain Road, Rozelle on Saturday, 4 May 2019. For information and to apply http://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/BuiltEnvironmentAwards Latest about Balmain Balmain Electorate Candidates to Face Voters in Telephone Exchange Hello All Balmain I received the message below from on 9 March 2-3.30 pm at Balmain Town Hall Telstra yesterday: The NSW state election will be held on Saturday 23 March, 2019 “Based on current progress we The Balmain Association, The Balmain Institute, Friends of Callan anticipate commencing work on Park, and Climate Change Balmain Rozelle, with the support of Inner the site at the end of March. Works West Council, are inviting all candidates to participate in this free are expected to be completed for public forum with the voters. handover to council in August.” Each candidate will have time to state their policies and face a Question With hope Fergus Fricke and Answer session from attendees. As nominations only close on 6 March it is not clear who will attend; IN THIS ISSUE the incumbent Jamie Parker (Greens), Elly Howse (ALP) and Ben P. 1 Christmas Party Zhand (Liberal) have been invited. Meet the Candidates P. 2 WestConnex Local activist Michael Raper will moderate the Forum. P. 3 Other Matters Attendees may submit questions to Candidates by Email at P. 4 & 5 Brief History of Balmain Hospital [email protected] by noon Friday 8 March. P. 6. National Trust Heritage Festival 2019 P. 7 Launch “Broughton Hall Brought to Life” P. 8 What’s on at the Watch House National Trust Heritage Festival 2019 Happenings with WestConnex The Parliamentary Inquiry development of the first business case for transparency and accountability concerns The Greens called for a Parliamentary the project but NSW Government is not relating to the WestConnex project. Inquiry into the WestConnex in June required to consider full range of costs • it is unacceptable that members of 2018. This gave the community the in business case including costs to public the community feel it necessary to chance to have a say on the impact this health, amenity, biodiversity, extra road undertake air quality monitoring in lieu polluting toll road is having on our area, building and losses to public transport, of the responsible government agencies. our kids and our health. why not!!! • the various noise mitigation measures In the December 2018 issue of offered by Roads and Maritime Services the Observer, Duncan MacAuslan That while extensive consultation are wholly inadequate to substantially commented on the 556 submissions for the WestConnex project has reduce heavy construction noise. received to this inquiry. been undertaken, it appears that • Local government should not have The results were released on 18th this consultation has been ineffective to step in to alleviate concerns held December 2018. and has lacked an empathetic by residents in relation to State The people on the committee approach. Significant Infrastructure projects, Chair: Rev the Hon Fred Nile MLC such as the WestConnex, when it is the Christian Democratic Party responsibility of the NSW Government. Greg Donnelly MLC ALP The NSW Government failed to adequately consider alternative options at That while extensive consultation Ms Cate Faehrmann MLC The Greens for the WestConnex project has Trevor Khan MLC The Nationals the commencement of the WestConnex project and that been undertaken, it appears that this Shayne Mallard MLC Liberal Party consultation has been ineffective and • the transparency arrangements Daniel Mookhey MLC ALP has lacked an empathetic approach. Peter Phelps MLC Liberal Party pertaining to the WestConnex business Further discussion: For full report search case have been unsatisfactory. Impact of WestConnex Project - • the delivery of the WestConnex project • On December 17 2018, Naaman Zhou Parliament of NSW. by Sydney Motorway Corporation in the Guardian wrote a comprehensive From the findings - June Lunsmann has weakened the accountability account of the inquiry. A very brief overview and disclosure rules that would have • Likewise there is a report by Matt O’Sullivan in the SMH December 17 • WestConnex is a vital and long- otherwise applied if the project had been “WestConnex road project panned for overdue infrastructure project. The delivered by a government agency. lack of transparency”. NSW Government failed to subject the • the recent sale of a majority interest in WestConnex project to a comprehensive Sydney Motorway Corporation to the “Search WestConnex Review” these independent assurance process during the private sector will likely exacerbate existing and a number of other comments will appear. The Western Harbour Tunnel From State Member for Balmain, M4 and the M5 into the Jamie Parker Rozelle Interchange. The Western Harbour Tunnel (WHT) If the goal of is the next stage of the government’s WestConnex Stage 3 is destructive and polluting WestConnex to push traffic into the tollroad project. Rozelle Interchange and I’ve been working with the community then out north through against this polluting tollway since its the Western Harbour inception. While our campaign has Tunnel the question celebrated some big wins, we still have a is: where will that long way to go before public transport is traffic go if the Western the top priority for government in NSW. Harbour Tunnel is and can be scrapped at relatively little It is promising that after many months scrapped? cost to government. of hard work, Labor has finally Unless Labor commit to scrap What our city needs is investment in a withdrawn support for the Western WestConnex Stage 3, it is inevitable world class public transport system that Harbour Tunnel in principle. However, they will have to proceed with the makes getting around quicker, easier their proposal is not practical in its Western Harbour Tunnel as the Anzac and less stressful. Tollways which risk current form. Bridge will be overwhelmed by the homes, destroy parkland, encourage car WestConnex Stage 3 – which still additional traffic if not. Simply put, use, pollute and fleece people with tolls enjoys the support of both Labor and the Stage 3 necessitates the Western are driving Sydney in absolutely wrong Liberals – proposes to build a shallow Harbour Tunnel. direction. tunnel under Annandale, Camperdown The good news is that the Rozelle http://www.jamieparker.org/wht and Leichhardt to push traffic from the Interchange is still in early design stage 2 Western Harbour Tunnel Cont. Other Matters . Another meeting re: the WHT was Council Amalgamation White Bay/Glebe Island held Saturday 9th February 2019 at Did you know that the Inner West Much concern has been expressed Birchgrove Park. Councils were the only Councils in the about the government’s acceptance The meeting was convened by the Labor inner-city that was merged? of a number of ad hoc industrial and Party to inform residents about their Of the 13 historic inner-city Councils, residential developments independently position on the WHT. our Council was the only one that of one another without any There were about 120 people present who was merged. All other 12 inner-city consideration given to their cumulative heard from Elly Howse, Labor candidate Councils knew that a merger would be impact on our community or wider for Balmain and Jodi McKay, Shadow a long and expensive process with few Sydney. Minister for Transport, and Shadow benefits for their communities. They This includes the redevelopment of the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight. challenged State Government and they Labor’s position is that a NSW Labor Sydney Fish Market (with a plan for up won while the Inner West Councils did to 2,700 new apartments in Pyrmont), government would not build the WHT not challenge. In fact, some Councils and current budget set aside for the WHT the proposal for a casting plan at White just sat back and waited until State Bay to supply the Western Harbour would be used for public transport namely Government dropped its merger policy. heavy rail including the Western Link. Tunnel, and the proposal for a multi- The three Inner West Councils were user facility at Glebe Island. The cancellation of current WestConnex never forced to merge. You might Balmain State Member has been projects including Stage 3B was not recall the Inner West Councils saying: working with local residents to protect feasible due to the structure of the sale of “If we don’t merge, the Minister will the liveability of our local area. WestConnex and the Sydney Motorway force a merger on us.” Well, we ended Corporation but this sale was not up forcing a merger on ourselves while To be updated on the progress of the contingent on any traffic flows associated the other 12 inner city Councils were campaign and if you’d like to talk about with the Western Harbour Tunnel.