Stabling Yards Update - 24.02.2006

Dear fellow residents - a few updates

1. Latest we've heard is TIDC is aiming to make its Determination of the Project by the end of February.  It will take into account more than 120 submissions (well done to all those who put pen to paper!!)

You should be aware there is no opportunity to respond to the Determination. TIDC is then free to start construction.  Rest assured, if we're not satisfied we'll be protesting in the media and organising the long planned 'day of action'.  Be prepared to put your hand up to help!

Newly appointed Macdonaldtown Precinct Manager Colin Coakley wants an open dialogue with residents and has agreed to meet the community once the Determination has been made at Erskineville Town Hall. As soon as we have a date, we'll let you know.

2. Please find attached a letter confirming Council's position on traffic access routes along local streets during construction.   Thanks to Councillor Tony Pooley for this. 

3. Despite representations from Councillors, the Lord Mayor's Office, the Shadow Minister for Transport and residents - no one has drawn any meaningful response from Minister Watkins. 

The petition of some 500 signatures will be presented to him when Parliament resumes next week.  And Questions on Notice put to Watkins by opposition MPs Barry O'Farrell/Sylvia Hale need to be answered/published in Hansard on Tuesday 28 February.

4. We all want to know more about what exactly is happening in the Macdonaldtown Triangle right now.  Colin Coakley has provided this response.  Have asked also for info on what is happening off Railway Parade. 

There is no remediation taking place on the RailCorp land at this time. Due to the very limited access into the Burren Street backyards, we have used the RailCorp land as a staging area for the storage of machinery, materials and site sheds for the duration of the project.

- The excavation / removal of soils from the backyards will be complete in the next couple of weeks. This will be followed by backfilling with clean soil, and landscaping in the individual properties. It is anticipated that the works will be complete by early April 06.

- The DEC is fully aware of the project, and RailCorp has been working in cooperation with the DEC for the past few years to complete the works. RailCorp also provides fortnightly updates to the DEC on progress of the works, and the DEC will be provided with all reports / documentation on completion of the project. 

- Access to the staging area is via the main driveway adjacent to Macdonaldtown station. We generally do not have a large number of vehicle movements, and when we do, they are concentrated over just a couple of days to either remove or import soil.

Has anyone got anything to add from their own enquiries (Burren St backyard property owners perhaps?)

5.  Your turn

Changing work/personal situations mean several of us cannot commit as much time to this campaign any longer and need to pass the baton.

People with legal, lobbying, publicity, political or event management experience are especially needed.  Also people who can design/copy/print/distribute posters and flyers.Please get in touch if you're willing and able to help. 

Thanks

Gaynor Stanley

on behalf of the Steering Committee

Text of Council Letter:

22 December 2005

Martin Halliday
Director, Planning and Environment
Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation
Locked Bg 6501
ST LEONARDS  NSW  2065
 

Dear Mr Halliday

I refer to your letter concerning access to the MacDonaldtown Stabling Project site.

The City has no objection in principle to a small number of trucks accessing the MacDonaldtown Stabling Project site via local residential roads during the initial portion of the construction program when installing safety barriers and constructing the temporary new link road off Erskineville Road. 

The above trucks must only use the City Road/Darlington Road/Golden Grove/Wilson Street/Burren Street route to access the site as these particular streets are wider than most other streets in this area.  

The use of this route is subject to the following conditions:

• Trucks can only use this route during standard construction hours ie 7.00am – 5.00 pm Monday to Friday and 7.00am – 3.00 pm Saturdays.
  

• All truck drivers must comply with any directive of the City’s Law Enforcement Officers and NSW Police.
  

• A copy of this authorisation must be retained on-site, and a copy placed on the dashboard of each truck coming to the site.
  

• The City reserves the right to cancel this approval at any time.
  

Please note that once the new link road off Erskineville Road has been completed then all trucks going to or from the MacDonaldtown Stabling Project site must utilize this new link road and NOT use any of the nearby residential streets. In any exceptional circumstances where use of the link road is not possible, separate approval must be sought from Council for one off use of an alternative route

Should you require any further information regarding this matter, please contact Joseph Gomes.

Yours sincerely

Col Warne

Senior Transport Manager