4 July 2011
Investment in capacity on transport links for Sydney CBD essential, says Urban Taskforce in response to Auditor-General report
The Urban Taskforce today said that it was alarming to hear that Wynyard station could reach capacity for commuters by 2017. The Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraat, today released his report: Government expenditure and transport planning in relation to implementing Barangaroo.
Mr Achterstraat found that the success of Barangaroo depends very much on people being able to get there and leave with ease. He also observed that Wynyard station is nearing capacity and will need to handle many more commuters and that transport solutions for the CBD need to be started and completed on time.
The Urban Taskforces chief executive, Aaron Gadiel, said that the former government did not fully appreciate the importance of the central business district for Sydneys economic future.
The former governments own advice told it that the annual growth in office jobs around Sydneys central business district should be nearly double the employment ˜capacity target in their Metropolitan Plan, Mr Gadiel said.
The Metropolitan Plan, only released in December, says that planning rules for the central business district should only allow it to grow by just 3,200 jobs a year, while a report by BIS Shrapnel prepared for the NSW Government says that economic drivers should see office jobs growing at 5,200 annually.
It seems that the former government was attempting to cap employment growth in the most economically successful part of Sydney because of underinvestment in transport infrastructure.
This is deeply concerning.
If the central business district isnt able to meet demand for premium office accommodation, jobs and high quality businesses will be lost to other capital cities, both in Australia and internationally.
Mr Gadiel said that transport capacity improvements for central business district are crucial.
Sydneys best economic asset is its central business district situated adjacent to the harbour, he said.
If the CBD is not able to grow because of failures in transport infrastructure, there will be profound implications for the city as a whole.
The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australias most prominent property developers and equity financiers.
