Lesson 4: WestConnex - Sydney, Sustainability and Transport

This is part of a unit of work for Changing Places - Australia's Urban Future.

Lesson 1: Australia's Projected Population Growth
Lesson 2: Implications for Future Growth and Sustainability
Lesson 3: Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Precinct
Lesson 4: WestConnex - Sydney, Sustainability and Transport
Lesson 4: Sydney Sustainability and Transport (Teacher's Notes)
​Lesson 5: The GreenWay
​Lesson 5: Deindustrialisation
Lesson 6: Create an infographic
Lesson 7: Contributing to a Sustainable Urban Future
Lesson 7: WestConnex - Protest Movements and Impacts
Lesson 7: Conflict Over Dulwich Hill


WestConnex

Stage 1 (M4 East)
Stage 1 of the WestConnex project involves the widening of the M4, a connection between Parramatta Road and the City West Link and new connections at Concord Road. A tunnel will run from the end of the current M4 to the City West Link.
Ashfield and Haberfield
A section of Ashfield along Parramatta Road was acquired and demolished for WestConnex. The exit to the M4 tunnel will be near the crossroads of Frederick St/ City West Link and Parramatta Road. A large sections of Haberfield has been acquired to allow the WestConnex to link directly with the City West Link.

Stage 2 (New M5)
Stage 2 of the WestConnex project involves the construction of a tunnel between St Peters and Kingsgrove.
St Peters, Alexandria and Newtown
A traffic interchange is under construction next to Sydney Park. This will feed traffic into Edgeware and Enmore Roads and King Street, Newtown. Campbell Street and Euston Road will be widened.

Stage 3 (M4-M5 Link)
Stage 3 will involve an underground tunnel from Victoria Rd, east of the Iron Cove Bridge to St Peters.
Balmain and Rozelle
While Stage 3 of WestConnex is being finalized , recent announcements suggested that the former Balmain Tigers Club  on Victoria Rd at Rozelle, will be used as a dive site. Further details have not yet been released.

For more detail about WestConnex view previous blog posts:

Lesson 4: West Connex Update 1: Ashfield and Haberfield
Lesson 4: WestConnex Update 2: St Peters, Alexandria, Newtown

Lesson Activity: WestConnex and Sustainability

Examine the WestConnex development from a range of different perspectives. Develop a criteria to assess the project for economic, social and environmental sustainability. Include maps showing where the WestConnex project is located and the changes to landuse along the corridor (for example, acquisitions and demolitions, new open spaces). What might you change to improve the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the project?

Consider the following:
- What is the overall cost of development (economic, social, environmental)?
- What kind of Sydney do we really want?
- Do the benefits to the city/commuters outweigh the costs to others?

Light Rail Extension
A key issue in sustainability is its car-dependence. Every improvement in public transport is a step towards improving Sydney's  sustainability. The  2013 Inner West Light Rail Extension involved utilising former freight lines to extend light rail services from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill. The light rail now extends from Lilyfield into the CBD, and commuters can also connect to the Inner West rail line at Summer Hill or Stanmore. The extension of the light rail line through the Inner West involved a 5.6 km line extension and the construction of stops at Leichhardt North, Hawthorne, Marion, Taverners Hill, Lewisham West, Waratah Mills, Arlington, Dulwich Grove and Dulwich Hill Interchange.

Metroline
The existing rail line between Sydenham to Bankstown will be converted to a Metro line. During construction the rail line will not be in operation. It is anticipated that once completed, it will reduce wait times and travel times to the city. However, the existing rail line allows commuters to connect with the existing CityRail network and travel to locations such as Chester Hill, Villawood, Cabramatta and Liverpool, without having to change trains. Commuters can then change trains to connect with the rest of the CityRail network. It is unclear at this stage how the Metro line will interact with the existing City Rail and light rail networks.

Lesson Activity: Metroline
Determine the advantages and disadvantages of replacing the existing train line with the Metroline.

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