Albanese should block funding for M5 expansion

Ms Rhiannon says she will work with the community and local Greens
councillors to build on the ‘no M5 expansion’ campaign when NSW
Parliament resumes in mid February.

The ‘Rally Against the Road’ is at 11am, Sat 6 February, Tempe Lands,
South St.

“This monster road project will destroy residential communities,
increase greenhouse emissions and air pollution, induce more traffic
and rob funds from public transport solutions. It will also make the
controversial M4 East inevitable,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“If Mr Albanese gives the nod to funding the project he will severely
erode the climate change credentials the Rudd government is attempting
to build.

“Labor at both Federal and State levels has created an enormous traffic
problem by expanding Port Botany and Sydney Airport. They are now
struggling with the wash up.

“The M5 expansion is a bankrupt, non-solution which fails to consider
better alternatives to congestion like public transport, freight on
rail and active transport.

"The NSW government has failed to learn from history and is again
condemning Sydney to another motorway disaster, like the Cross City
Tunnel, the Lane Cove Tunnel and the current M5 motorway.

 “Premier Kristina Keneally has tarred herself with the same old Labor
government brush by backing this ill-conceived project before
releasing the long overdue Transport Blueprint.

“The M5 feasibility study again shows the government prefers to listen
to the RTA and big business rather than local communities and public
transport planners.

“The proposed Southern Sydney Connection, a four lane surface road,
will crash through the $17 million remediated Tempe Lands, the site of
Saturday’s rally, and spew traffic into local streets in St Peters and
Alexandria.

“The Inner West community will not thank Labor at the polls for this
mega-road project.

“Both Federal and State Labor would be wise to dump the proposal, or
see damage at the ballot box,” Ms Rhiannon said.

For more information –  0427 861 568