City of Canada Bay Council has called on the NSW Government to seek urgent measures to solve the gridlock crisis on local roads following the opening of the Rozelle Interchange late last year.
City of Canada Bay Mayor, Michael Megna, today met with representatives of Transport for NSW to demand solutions for the community.
“The opening of this project has been a shambles. What were once 10-minute journeys into the city and around our LGA, have become odysseys, and it’s time the Department came to the table with solutions,” said Mayor Megna.
“Council’s concerns about this project’s impact on our community were not heard in the planning phase, we were ignored during construction when road closures led to a standstill on Drummoyne’s roads, and now the Interchange has opened, and the problems have been compounded.”
Following public outcry from the Rozelle-Balmain Peninsula, Transport for NSW made amendments to the light sequencing in the Canada Bay LGA to limit the flow of traffic onto the ANZAC Bridge, holding back eastbound traffic on Victoria Road in Drummoyne to ease congestion further east.
“So far the band aid solutions from the Department have done nothing but shift traffic further west – kicking the can down the road, bringing our LGA to a standstill, and creating enormous rat running and safety issues for our community.”
Following its submission to the upcoming NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the project, the Council has been asked to speak at the inquiry to outline issues being felt across the LGA.
“I look forward to speaking at the inquiry on behalf of our community to voice our concerns,” the Mayor said.
“In advance of the inquiry, Council is conducting traffic counts at hotspots, and we have staff stationed at locations during peak periods making observations on safety, rat running and the many other issues that have arisen.”
“Our local community does not want anyone playing party politics over this matter, they do not care who is responsible – they just want to be able to get to work, to take their children to school and for the gridlock to be alleviated from local roads that have never experienced traffic like this before.”
Hearings for the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into the Impact of the Rozelle Interchange begin on April 10.
Council’s submission can be found online here.
