RESIDENTS from across the WestCONnex route will come together on Sunday 6 December for UPROOTED, a family picnic and tree-wrapping event to highlight the community destruction the $16.8 billion toll road would cause.
UPROOTED is being organised by WestCONnex Action Group (WAG), and will involve three simultaneous events in Haberfield, St Peters and Kingsgrove.
“People are furious that the Baird Government wants to destroy so much of our precious green space, trees and parkland for the WestCONnex toll road,” said WAG spokesperson Kathryn Calman.
“The entire M5 Linear Walk from Beverly Hills to Kingsgrove will be destroyed, including the critically endangered Cooks River Scrub forest. Protecting this remnant bushland was a condition of the first M5, so why is the Baird Government being allowed to destroy it now?
“These precious green spaces are an established bird corridor and a haven for local wildlife. They’re enjoyed by hundreds of walkers, cyclists and locals, and play a vital role in reducing traffic noise and pollution from the current M5. Yet they’ll all be destroyed if the WestCONnex toll road goes ahead.
“Instead, we’ll be let with a hideous landscape dominated by bare noise walls and huge poison stacks spewing concentrated pollution across our homes, workplaces and children’s schools.
“Beverly Grove Park where our local UPROOTED event will be held is also slated for WestCONnex destruction – even though it’s the only park in Kingsgrove where children can play away from traffic.
“And for what? Even the Baird Government’s own figures show WestCONnex will make traffic on our local streets worse, not better, because people won’t want to pay the $6 tolls on the old and new M5 tunnels.
“This event will give our community a chance to stand with affected residents across Sydney to tell Premier Baird we won’t be UPROOTED for his secretive and destructive WestCONnex toll road.
“We’ll be wrapping blue ribbons in WestCONnex’s corporate colours around the trees to symbolise our protection, and raise awareness of what would be lost if this $16.8 billion toll road is built.
“We can stop this disgusting waste of taxpayer funds and destruction. And we encourage everyone to join us at UPROOTED on Sunday 6 December to stand up for our local environment and community.”
Media contacts: Kathryn Calman 0421 181 057, Pauline Lockie 0414 470 106
Event URL: http://www.westconnexactiongroup.org.au/uprooted_family_picnic_tree_wrapping