Albanese should block funding for M5 expansion

MEDIA RELEASE

6 February 2010

Expressing support for Tempe residents’ rally this Saturday against the M5 corridor expansion, Greens MP and road spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has called on the Federal Minister for Transport Anthony Albanese to say ‘no’ to Infrastructure Australia funding the $4 billion road project being proposed by the NSW government.

Ms Rhiannon says she will work with the community and local Greens councillors to build on the ‘no M5 expansion’ campaign when NSW Parliament resumes in mid February.

The ‘Rally Against the Road’ is at 11am, Sat 6 February, Tempe Lands, South St.

“This monster road project will destroy residential communities, increase greenhouse emissions and air pollution, induce more traffic and rob funds from public transport solutions. It will also make the controversial M4 East inevitable,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“If Mr Albanese gives the nod to funding the project he will severely erode the climate change credentials the Rudd government is attempting to build.

“Labor at both Federal and State levels has created an enormous traffic problem by expanding Port Botany and Sydney Airport. They are now struggling with the wash up.

“The M5 expansion is a bankrupt, non-solution which fails to consider better alternatives to congestion like public transport, freight on rail and active transport.

“The NSW government has failed to learn from history and is again condemning Sydney to another motorway disaster, like the Cross City Tunnel, the Lane Cove Tunnel and the current M5 motorway.

Lee Rhiannon

“Premier Kristina Keneally has tarred herself with the same old Labor government brush by backing this ill-conceived project before releasing the long overdue Transport Blueprint.

“The M5 feasibility study again shows the government prefers to listen to the RTA and big business rather than local communities and public transport planners.

“The proposed Southern Sydney Connection, a four lane surface road, will crash through the $17 million remediated Tempe Lands, the site of Saturday’s rally, and spew traffic into local streets in St Peters and Alexandria.

“The Inner West community will not thank Labor at the polls for this mega-road project.

“Both Federal and State Labor would be wise to dump the proposal, or see damage at the ballot box,” Ms Rhiannon said.

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