FAMILIES from Haberfield and Ashfield will march from Haberfield Public School and onto the pedestrian footbridge at the corner of Parramatta Rd and Bland St on Wednesday afternoon to highlight the destruction WestCONnex will cause to their suburbs.
“We’ll be overlooking the toxic triangle of pollution and traffic that the $15.4 billion WestCONnex toll road will bring to our area,” said WestCONnex Action Group (WAG) spokesperson Sharon Laura.
“We’ll be right over the planned exit on Parramatta Road, which will be crippled by all the extra traffic caused by WestCONnex – both from drivers skipping the new tolls on the M4, and the tens of thousands of extra cars and trucks that this tunnel will spew onto our already crowded streets.
“We’ll be able to see where WestCONnex plans to build two poison pollution stacks just metres from childcare and residential aged care homes, The Infants’ Home at Ashfield, Haberfield Public School, and thousands of families’ homes.
“And we’ll be right near the second WestCONnex exit at the City West Link, where the tunnel will disgorge even more cars and trucks into our already congested streets.
“So this protest will be a chance for us to highlight the Baird Government’s utterly pointless destruction of Ashfield and Haberfield for WestCONnex – especially to drivers on Parramatta Road, who’ll be sentenced to decades of gridlock if this sham toll road is built.
“WestCONnex will do nothing except see people in western Sydney pay huge tolls to drive straight into an inner-city traffic jam. No doubt that’s why the Baird Government has been so desperate to hide the WestCONnex business case – they know the numbers don’t add up.
“We demand that the Baird Government stop the secrecy and halt all work on WestCONnex until the full business case has been released and a parliamentary inquiry is held.”
When: Wednesday 9 September, 2:45pm to 5pm
Where: Meet at Haberfield Public School, Bland St, Haberfield
What: Photoshoot outside the school before marching to pedestrian footbridge at Parramatta Road
Media Contact: Sharon Laura 0417 022 553, Chris Elenor 0400 606 379