Clover’s “look good” agenda more important than the needs of Mums with prams, elderly & disabled
September 3rd, 2009The pedestrian bridges that span the Westfield Complex and the two David Jones’ Stores in the heart of the city have been slimmed down following pressure from the Lord Mayor. Clover wanted bridges that were 4 metres wide (3.2 metres internal walking space) but Westfield have argued that 5.04 metres (internally 4 metres) is needed to ensure pedestrian comfort and safety. The Market St bridge is currently 9.3 metres wide and the Castlereagh St crossing clocks in at 12.8 metres.
I know it seems odd for the Greens to be speaking up for a developer and a major retailer but I think that the Lord Mayor, blinded by her aesthetic bias, is ignoring the needs of the people who shop in the city and find these pedestrian bridges to be very helpful. Both the bridges that were discussed at Council on Monday 31st August span very busy roads and the pedestrian bridges ensure comfort and safety for those who want to visit Centrepoint and the David Jones stores
Both Crs Moore and McInerney were absent during discussion of the pedestrian bridges at the Planning Committee on the previous Monday. At that committee three of the Clover Moore Party councillors voted with the Greens, the Labor councillor and the Liberal to recommend the 5.04 metre bridges that were sought as a compromise with a 7-1 majority vote. But at council the Lord Mayor had obviously pulled her budding “independents” into line and the Clover Moore party councillors overturned the Planning Committee vote and reduced the pedestrian bridges to a maximum of 4.5 metres (internally approx 3.5 metres).
It was disappointing to see the three Clover Moore Party councillors lose their independence and cave in under pressure from the Lord Mayor. Westfield made a good case for the wider bridges and certainly responded to Clover’s request by halving the width of both existing bridges to 5.04 metres.
Pedestrian flow figures indicated 1100 people per hour crossing the bridges in peak times – that’s about 10 pedestrians every 30 seconds! The internal width agreed to by the Moore Party Councillors is only the span of a quiet suburban street – a response that was simply inadequate.
Clover Moore Party councillors also ignored a submission for a 4 metre internal width from widely respected Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes AM. Clearly those with special needs and mothers with prams & strollers have been disregarded in the pursuit of what is little more than architectural design dogma.
trial and the matter was discussed at council on 6th July 2009. The vote at the Council meeting was 7 to 2 for the extension with myself and Councillor Burgmann opposing it. Since then, a story in the Sydney Morning Herald has described the area as “an alfresco drinking zone”.
There are other ways Council could have activated this space, but the background to this saga suggests that residents and council may have been misled.
The Harold Park Paceway has asked the Minister for Planing to use her Part 3A powers to determine a concept plan for the re-zoning and redevelopment of both the trotting facility and the adjacent historic Tramsheds.

