The conservative Liberal National premier of the state of New South Wales, Barry O’Farrell, has sought to restrict the influence of Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore over the city’s transport planning.
Mr O’Farrell has set up a new planning committee dominated by his government and headed by Transport NSW head Les Wielinga.
Mr O’Farrell said he was concerned local politics were driving transport decisions in Australia’s largest city.
His government had been looking at overhauling transport planning in the CBD for a year and Mr O’Farrell said local elections in September had become a key driver behind Ms Moore’s decision-making.
“It seems to put residents and voters in the City of Sydney ahead of the broader Sydney and the broader state wide interests,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“It’s important that the state has a say in the way in which traffic and transport arrangements are put in place.”
Critics have accused Ms Moore of favouring cyclists over drivers, with her cycleway network becoming a focus of anger.
Mr O’Farrell denied he was acting against cyclists by forming the new committee.
“I don’t mind if people cycle, walk or pogo stick into the city,” he said.
“What concerns me though is if policies are made that directly get in the way of other transport modes.
“The fact is that 600,000 people a day come into the city by buses or via trains, (and) another 200,000 people a day come in by cars.
Ms Moore said the committee would only create an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy since Sydney traffic and transport policies already require approval from state agencies.
“If the premier is proposing a more effective mechanism for the city and state to work together in the interests of the global city and the people of the city, I welcome it,” Ms Moore said.
“However, we can’t do a pedestrian crossing or an intersection, or a bike lane, without sign-off from those state agencies.”
Sydney Business Chamber executive director Patricia Forsythe backed setting up the new CBD transport committee, saying traffic management in the CBD impacted on the entire transport network.
