Latest news with #CommitteeForSydney
ABC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Western Sydney advocates criticise proposed budget, lack of art at Metro West
While Sydney Metro was lauded for its architecture and design, Western Sydney lobby groups have voiced their fury that Metro West may not receive the same treatment. According to Business Western Sydney and the Committee for Sydney, an average of $700 million was spent on the eight upscale stations in central Sydney but the Minns government plans to spend about $400 million per station on Metro West line. The government has not yet disclosed any figures for the Metro West stations. A report commissioned by Business Western Sydney and the Committee for Sydney has argued the Metro West should not to be "a second-class project". The report features analysis from 40 experts in architectural design, infrastructure and finance. They concluded that the biggest costs for the stations "are not flashy finishes or artistic flair" and that public art "improves community engagement". "Cutting expenditure on public art will not materially reduce the costs of the Metro West stations," the report read. "Despite being seen as a luxury, investment in public art is usually a very small percentage of the overall budget. The report said "technical specifications for steel and concrete are what really shape budgets" and that the highest engineering standards are "not necessarily the most appropriate". The design of the city metro stations, which opened to the public last year, won the NSW architecture medallion at the Australian Institute of Architects' 2025 NSW Architecture Awards. Architecture companies, designers, public art experts and engineering firms shared the accolade. Transport Minister John Graham would not disclose figures for the stations so as to "not compromise taxpayer's interests" as contracts are being organised. "We're doing that business case work at the moment," he said. "That work's underway as we start to issue these contracts. That's good news for these communities along the route" Mr Graham confirmed the government were planning to control spending for the entire metro network. "We're planning to keep a tight grip on the costs of Sydney Metro across the board, that's true of the three lines," he said. "We did have billions of dollars of costs' blown out under the former government, and we simply can't afford to do that. "We do have to deliver these train services, but we've also got to have an eye to what taxpayers need as well." Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said Western Sydney residents were "entitled to stations that are as beautiful as those in eastern Sydney". "The government should be doing everything it can to make sure that it's not short-changing people in Western Sydney," he said. "I have to caution about reducing engineering standards. Safety and reliability are paramount — we want beautiful stations but I don't want unreliability." Parramatta Mayor Martin Zaiter blasted the government, questioning why "Western Sydney [is] always treated differently than eastern Sydney". "Let me be clear, we have today more people that live to the west of Parramatta that we do to its east," Cr Zaiter said. "Metro West should not be a second-class project in relation to design and user experience. David Borger, executive director of Business Western Sydney and former NSW Labor politician, said the group wanted to see stations in the west built to the same standards. "The new metro stations in the city really are cathedrals, and I guess what we're saying is we don't want chapels, we want cathedrals as well," he said on Thursday. "Good design doesn't cost a fortune, good design can be incorporated into the basic concept of each of these stations," he said. "A lot of the cost blowout has to do with engineering standards. "We've picked the highest, the least risky engineering standards from around the world, that probably has added hugely to the cost of metro, but the design itself is not that expensive." Eamon Waterford, chief executive of the Committee for Sydney, said their research found "targeting the architectural design of the public art and stations will not reduce the cost, but we will reduce the quality". He said that "you can reduce the engineering standards whilst delivering a long-term, 100-year project and reducing costs". "That doesn't come at the expense of design quality. It doesn't come at the expense of safety. It just comes at the expense of standards that are probably over-engineered."
ABC News
10-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Calls to boost renewables for Sydney
Samantha Donovan: It's estimated about a third of Australian households have solar panels on their roofs, but fly over a major population centre and you'll see plenty of empty roof space that could be generating power. Now there's a push for the nation's biggest city to exploit that resource. A new report by the think tank the Committee for Sydney has found 75% of the city's energy needs could be generated by putting solar panels on commercial roof space, and that power could help bring down prices for renters and those who live in dwellings where solar systems can't be installed. Isabel Moussalli has more. Isabel Moussalli: Sydney resident Noah Fowler used to work for a solar company, but renting an apartment means rooftop solar is out of reach for him. So you can imagine the frustration with getting high electricity bills. Noah Fowler: I know it's a no-brainer, but when it comes to landlords or it comes to Strata, there's just so many different hurdles that pop up. Also, lack of real estate doesn't make it a simple solution. So, yeah, it's kind of a trickier one when you're coming from an industry where you're telling people to do it, but coming home and not being able to have it, I'm just like, ugh. Isabel Moussalli: Boosting that access is the goal of a new report by think tank Committee for Sydney, which was developed with local energy distributors and consultants. Sam Kernaghan: Sydney has massive renewable energy potential that's virtually untapped. Most importantly, there's a real disconnect in terms of equity of access to that renewable energy opportunity. Isabel Moussalli: That's report author Sam Kernaghan. Sam Kernaghan: A renewable energy zone is a coordinated way of delivering new generation and transmission in regional New South Wales and across the eastern seaboard. And we took that same idea, we took that inspiration to apply to metropolitan Sydney. We think there's a real opportunity for Sydney to generate much, much more energy than it is today, and the distribution network is already in place here in Sydney. So there's an opportunity to take advantage of existing infrastructure. Isabel Moussalli: He explains about 30% of Sydney-siders have rooftop solar. With state and federal incentives, that number is growing. But the report found if every residential and industrial rooftop had solar panels, that would meet 75% of Sydney's annual energy needs. Sam Kernaghan: So that's seven times what Sydney's currently generating. We may not get there in full. 100% coverage is definitely a stretch. But this finding shows what's possible. Isabel Moussalli: It's made a range of recommendations, including improving access to community batteries and trialling new models for energy generation and storage. Sam Kernaghan: We looked at incentives, particularly for industrial landlords, to oversize their solar on rooftops because currently they only install about 10% to 20%. So things like risk underwriting mechanisms, again, to change their behaviour, we ask them to invest some of their own capital. But to get this going, we also need something as simple as an urban renewable energy roundtable, a way of bringing together all the key stakeholders. Isabel Moussalli: Tania Urmee is a professor in the School of Engineering and Energy at Murdoch University. She commends the report's focus on energy equity, like improving access for rentals, apartments and low-income households. But she says reaching this goal will require more infrastructure and boosting the workforce. Tania Urmee: I think there's a lot for our government to do, that policy is needed. And we could be the powerhouse in the world for renewable energy and we should take those opportunities as soon as we can. Samantha Donovan: Professor Tania Urmee from Murdoch Uni. That report from Isabel Moussalli.
ABC News
29-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Here's what you should know if parking is a source of tension on your street
Is car parking a source of contention on your street? Maybe it's hard to find a spot, there's a neighbour who parks too close to your driveway, or caravans are being parked for long periods. If you want to tackle your parking problems, here are some things to consider. Parking issues are common across Australia, including in suburban Adelaide and growing regional towns. Louise Crawford is the Mayor of Port Phillip Council in Naarm/Melbourne, where parking can be tricky to come by — depending on the street. "We're incredibly limited in the amount of parking spaces that we have," she says. Katy Woods, a senior lawyer with Legal Aid NSW on Gadigal land in Sydney, says the organisation "regularly get calls about drivers who park outside another person's home or over someone's driveway". Estelle Grech is the policy manager at the Committee for Sydney, an urban policy think tank. In some instances, she says parking shortages are "perceived" because it's assumed changes or development in the area always equates to less parking. She says more housing needs to be planned near public transport so car space availability is less of an issue and people can choose not to have a car. Ms Woods recommends people contact their council if they're "consistently unable to park outside their home". She says most New South Wales councils have online forms to raise parking grievances. If you live in an apartment, Ms Woods suggests raising the issue with your strata manager instead. Ms Greche says expecting a park outside your home is not realistic in every area. "People need to remember that they don't own the street outside their house as well," she says. However, she adds "it makes sense to have a park ideally reserved directly outside your house" if you have mobility issues. Different Australian states and cities have a process to apply for an accessibility parking permit, mobility parking permit or an equivalent. The eligibility requirements and processes differ, but mobility limitation caused by a medical condition, injury or disability are common prerequisites. Additionally, Cr Crawford says Port Philip Council has a process for accessibility parking permit holders to request an accessible on-street parking space outside their home. The process is similar in other areas, and you can check with your local council. Cr Crawford says a "polite conversation" with your neighbour is warranted if their parking is obstructing driveways. While leaving an anonymous note on their windscreen might be tempting, Ms Woods says it's "unlikely to resolve the issue". "Be respectful, and keep in mind that there may be personal circumstances, such as mobility issues or illness, that your neighbours are dealing with." If you can't resolve the issue, a mediation service could be the next step. Mediation facilitators can be found online. Mis Woods says legal action should be a last resort and if you are ever "concerned for your safety, contact the police and seek advice about obtaining an [apprehended violence order]". Cr Crawford says that if driveway access is blocked, council can also tow the offending vehicles, which happens about four to five times a week in her area. Ms Woods also says, if a car is blocking the driveway of causing a hazard you can report it to police. The rules covering street parking differ from council to council and often vary drastically from street to street. In Port Phillip Council, Cr Crawford says the permit system has been tightened. She says at one stage there was a family that had eight residential parking permits. She says parking permits are now usually restricted to one per household for new residents. Permits also help set realistic expectations about parking availability in the area, Cr Crawford says. Cr Crawford says caravans and trailers being parked for long periods is "becoming a greater issue", and council is considering introducing new laws to address it. "In some areas where we don't have any parking restrictions ... people are turning them into private caravan and trailer storage areas." In NSW, Ms Woods says that if a vehicle is "more than 7.5 metres long or weighs more than 4.5 tonnes, it is classified as a heavy and long vehicle", which means there are additional rules for parking. She also recommends checking the relevant council website for information about where you can or can't park a caravan or boat trailer.
