Dear Supporters, we understand that North Sydney Council is negotiating with Transport for NSW for monetary compensation on the land TfNSW needs, but at present has no legal right to use or occupy, to build its park destroying Linear Ramp. Legal advice appears divided, with most opining that owing to the Park Trust, the land cannot be acquired under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act, but notes that this hasn’t been tested in court.

Today the NSW Government Gazette listed the 3-year compulsory acquisition of Bradfield Park, presumably to enable the cycleway construction to go ahead. It seems like it will proceed unless prevented by legal means. North Sydney Council is not willing to mount a test case, despite having received $2.5m from TfNSW for allowing Transport’s application to NSW Heritage to proceed. Having let a contract, the state government might be unwilling to halt proceedings. There is precedent for contract cancellation, but we propose re-negotiation, allowing Arenco to build the Community Cycle Ramp instead.

The state is seeking ways to bolster its budget – it should halt the Linear Ramp.

However, in NSW we have the tragi-comedic situation reminiscent of the TV series “Utopia”, and quoting Elizabeth Knight referring to the opposition’s nuclear policy in today’s Sydney Morning Herald, “the TV series showcases the lunacy of politically or electorally driven policy on building massive uncosted, economically irrational projects….as the press release has already been written and no number of objections can derail the government’s objective.”

In hope, Ian