Herald reveals secret plans for M4 East tunnel

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The front page article of the Sydney Morning Herald on 31 March detailed plans for a $9.7 billion extension of the M4, including tunnels under Marrickville linking the Airport and Port Botany to the M4 and Rozelle.

Plans for an M4 East have been on and off again for a while.  The local member, Carmel Tebbutt vehemently denied there were any plans during the 2007 election campaign.  However, leaked cabinet documents show that planning is underway. Indeed the state government has put in a bid for Infrastructure Australia funding for the 14 kilometres of tunnels.

The Herald quotes Roads Minister, Michael Daley, saying “We would love to build the M4 extension and if we can secure the help of the Federal Government then we will.”

The Marrickville Tunnel Action Group have tried to FOI documents relating to the M4 East.  185 documents were discovered, but none released under FOI.  The Greens then put a motion to Marrickville Council that Council write to the Minister requesting the documents.  This passed with The Greens and Independents for, and Labor against.  So far, no documents have been released.

Now the Herald reports that the Minister tried to pursuade Greens MP Lee Rhiannon to withdraw an order to produce documents in parliament.  The government should come clean with the public rather than try and impose this scheme by stealth.

See the Marrickville Greens press release on the secret plans.