JUNE FEDERAL ELECTION 2016 – ANTI-APARTHEID SYDNEY ELECTORATE EXHIBITION LAUNCH YOUR CANDIDATES — pages 6-7 FEATURE — page 10 NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-EIGHT ~ JUNE ’16 ~ CIRCULATION 22,000 ~ALEXANDRIA BEACONSFIELD CHIPPENDALE DARLINGTON ERSKINEVILLE EVELEIGH GLEBE KINGS CROSS NEWTOWN PADDINGTON REDFERN SURRY HILLS WATERLOO WOOLLOOMOOLOO ZETLAND Triple threat for WestConnex BEN AVELING WESTCONNEX faces a triple threat. Ron Hoenig, the Labor member for the State seat of Heffron, has found what may be grounds for a legal challenge to the WestConnex M5 East project. The Federal Auditor General has announced an audit into the federal funding of WestConnex. And Labor MP and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, has announced that there would be no further money for WestConnex under a Labor Government. When the WestConnex M4 East was approved, it was required to improve, “on balance”, the performance of the road network. But Ron Hoenig has found that when the WestConnex New M5 (the part of WestConnex that ends at Sydney Park) was approved, it contained a stronger requirement: to improve, “on balance, and not adversely [impact] on” the On Wednesday May 25 Leslie Williams, Minister for Early Childhood Education, visited Wunanbiri Preschool to read a book with the children as part of the National Simultaneous performance of the road network. Storytime which is held across the country at about 11am on May 25. The program aims to encourage young Australians to read and enjoy books. Minister Williams read the book Whether the WestConnex project I Got This Hat by Jol and Kate Temple. During her visit Minister Williams was invited to add her handprint to a canvas in respect of National Sorry Day 2016 Photo: Tracey Freeburn can improve the road network “on balance” is questionable. It may be argued that there will be positive benefits to some parts of the network Environment Court to “demand from examining legal options. the management of federal funding for meeting in Balmain, Shadow Minister (the tollway) that are greater, on the government evidence of how this At a meeting of the City of Sydney WestConnex, specifically whether the for Infrastructure and Labor MP balance, than the adverse impacts condition of approval can be met and, Council on May 16, Lord Mayor Clover funding decision followed established Anthony Albanese promised that “If I on other parts of the network (local until it does, everything must cease”. Moore spoke against WestConnex process, whether it was based on am the Transport Minister there will be roads). But it is indisputable that there “If the government can’t even get and announced that Council was appropriate advice, and whether it not one dollar from the Federal Labor will be serious adverse impacts on local its own planning decisions right, then seeking “legal advice on prospects represented value for money. The audit Government for this WestConnex roads if the project proceeds on the no one can imagine how this $17 for challenging the approvals of will be tabled in the Federal Parliament project”. However, Albanese refused current plans. These adverse impacts billion road, the largest road project in Stage 1 and 2 of WestConnex”. Her in January 2017. Mr Hehir has already to commit to breaking an Abbott were acknowledged in the official Australia’s history, is going to work,” statement reads, “I can assure the City overseen one audit of WestConnex. In Government commitment to provide Environmental Impact Statement for said Mr Hoenig. community that the City Government 2014, he was NSW Auditor-General NSW with a $2 billion concessional the M5 East. The four councils Hoenig I lead will do everything we can to when the Audit Office of NSW loan. Ron Hoenig said, “Given the scope approached are the City of Sydney, expose and stop this destructive produced a damning audit of the early Originally, WestConnex was to and impact on local streets and roads Marrickville, Botany Bay and project.” The mayor’s statement stages of the WestConnex Project. require $3.6 billion of government by WestConnex, this condition [on the Randwick. Marrickville Council had was endorsed and adopted by all Clover Moore has announced that funding and it would raise $13.2 M5 East approval] will not, and cannot, been strongly opposed to WestConnex councillors present, except for the she will write to the State Government billion from the private sector. be met.” He called on local councils to until it became one of 43 councils Liberal councillors Christine Forster to request that all work on WestConnex So far, WestConnex has received seek an injunction to stop work and dissolved by the Baird Government and Edward Mandla. be halted while the audit takes place. commitments of $5.3 billion of stop the acquisition of homes. Councils on May 12. Botany Bay and Randwick On May 18, Federal Auditor-General On May 19, while speaking to government funding and raised $1.5 should furthermore ask the Land and councils are understood to be Grant Hehir announced an audit of several hundred people at a public billion from the Continued on page 2 JUNE 2 NEWS JUNE 2016 PUBLISHER South Sydney Uniting Church Raglan Street, Waterloo The views expressed in this newspaper are those of the author and the article and are not necessarily the views of the Uniting Church. NEWS [email protected] Phone Lyn 0400 008 338 ADVERTISING Contact – [email protected] Phone Duncan 0402 525 061 MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 3288 Redfern NSW 2016 LETTERS Please send letters and emails to: The South Sydney Herald. Email: [email protected] Supply sender name and suburb. Size: 150 words or less. We may edit for legal or other reasons. Responsibility for election comment is taken by the Managing Editor, Andrew Collis. Alexandria Park High School Photo: www.alexparkcs-c.schools.nsw.edu.au FOUNDING EDITOR Trevor Davies (25.5.1956—14.6.2011) The recent issue of the Inner Sydney Voice (ISV) magazine is a primer on the redevelopment of public housing. ISV articles explain the government’s proposal for the $22 billion state-wide redevelopment of High school shuffle public housing linked to urban renewal bodies like UrbanGrowth. BEN AVELING Although the redevelopment The Waterloo redevelopment is one of the first announcements under this policy. of the junior campus will not be MANAGING EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR THE NSW state government has completed until 2022, the senior Andrew Collis Dorothy McRae-McMahon ISV includes tenant’s reactions in Waterloo and what should be learnt from earlier public housing redevelopments and relocations. ISV also includes articles announced that Alexandria Park school is required to vacate its from academics and agencies that have expertise in such redevelopments and School will consolidate both the campus during 2017. From 2018, junior and senior schools into a the current senior campus on the issues they can create. 2,200-student multi-storey school on Mitchell Road will house what Links to the articles online can be found at the site of the junior school campus, is currently the Cleveland Street next to Alexandria Park. Intensive English School, a school NEWS EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITOR www.innersydneyvoice.org,au/pub/editorial-winter-2016 Lyn Turnbull Louisa Dyce or a PDF edition can be downloaded from the bottom of that page. for newly arrived Australians and This is approximately 1,200 school long-term visitors of senior school Print copies are available from The Factory Community Centre and South Sydney places more than the combined age. The current Cleveland Street Community Aid or directly from Inner Sydney Regional Council (now known as junior and senior campuses currently Intensive English School will become Inner Sydney Voice) at the rear of the Waterloo Library in Kellick Street. provide. The extra places are the site for a new 1,500-student Email any enquiries about distribution to [email protected] expected to be taken up by current inner-city high school, with ASSISTANT EDITOR SUB EDITOR and future residents of the Green development to start during 2018 Kris Shalvey Miriam Pepper Square area. and finish by 2020. S DISTRIBUTION Ross Smith [email protected] Triple threat for WestConnex DESIGNER Continued from page 1 Robert Young negotiation and project requirements”. www.theloop.com.au/rdfy private sector. The State Government Albanese’s refusal to commit to PRINTER Spotpress Pty Ltd needs to find another $2 billion to fund cancelling the loan disappointed www.spotpress.com the first two stages of WestConnex, opponents of WestConnex, but the for which contracts have already been promise he made on May 19 might signed. It needs to find another $8 still prove fatal to WestConnex. S REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS billion for the remaining stages. “We gratefully acknowledge the many volunteer contributors and distributors Infrastructure Australia, a The Audit Office of NSW's audit of who make this publication possible.” government body that exists to WestConnex is available at www.audit. “prioritise and progress” infrastructure nsw.gov.au/news/westconnex-assurance- David Angell Erin Links to-the-government. Lord Mayor Clover Ben Aveling Vangeli Kollias projects, said in its 2014-2015 Gabriel Azzi norrie mAy-welby WestConnex Assessment Brief that the Moore's Mayoral Minute is available at Anya Beniac Julie McCrossin NSW Government would seek from the www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/ Laura Buzo Bronwyn Monro Federal Government an unspecified assets/pdf_file/0003/256008/160516_ Anne Camac Jim Monro amount of further funding “subject to COUNCIL_ITEM32.pdf