Community Conversations

Since my comments in this column and in our latest edition of Your City starting community conversations about issues we all face in our City I have had a surprising, and gratifying, number of responses.  Road congestion, as expected, has been the dominant issue people are talking about with parks and garden following close behind.  
Last week’s Southern Courier’s front page story on the bleak outlook for congestion was in line with what people have been talking to me about.  We need to get on with immediate and positive work (action rather than mere talk) on what we’re going to do about the M5East, the M4East and the connector between the M4East and the airport and Port Botany.  I know the cost of these projects is enormous and we are going to need the Australian Government to step in with financial support.


From the State’s perspective, this generation will have to borrow to support these projects and present and future generations, which will benefit from the new roads, will need to contribute.  These are not issues that only impact on our City (which they do in a highly significant way) but right across Sydney.  If we don’t act, then Sydney could come to a grinding halt. Through my local conversations, I know that our community won’t sit idly by and allow that to happen.