WestConnex - Protest Movements and Impacts

Stage 5 Geography - Changing Places

In the previous 7-10 syllabus in Environment Issues there was a section of content where students were asked to investigate individual, groups and government responses to an issue. In the new NSW syllabus this has been removed. However, in Stage 4 Changing Places the issue of WestConnex protests (or some other protests) can be used to address the inquiry questions:

• How does urbanisation change environments and places?
• What strategies are used to manage environmental change in urban places to enhance sustainability?

 
Students can examine transport networks as both a cause and consequence of urbanisation (see previous post - WestConnex - Sydney, Sustainability and Transport)
 
Students can also use it to examine the following content dot points:

• assessment of the consequences of urban concentrations on the characteristics, liveability and sustainability of places
• investigate the management and planning of Australia’s urban future  (ACHGK059) 
• explanation of strategies used to create economically, socially and environmentally sustainable urban places 
• proposal of ways for individuals and communities to contribute to a sustainable urban future

Below: The St Peters West Connex site. 

Stage 6 Geography - Urban Places/Urban Dynamics
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In a previous post I wrote about how WestConnex could be used as a way of exploring growth, development, future trends and ecological sustainability for a Sydney case study in the urban dynamics section of the HSC course. Another way this issue could be used in this course would be to use it to explore the culture of place of a suburb like Haberfield. There have been a variety of articles regarding the nature of the suburb in terms of heritage architecture, noise, and street life, and how this has and will change as a result of WestConnex. There are also a number of articles regarding the development site at St Peters and the removal of established trees on Sydney Park.

This could also be used as a way to ask problematic questions such as:
- What is the cost of development?,
- What kind of Sydney do we really want?
- Do the benefits to the city/commuters outweigh the costs to others?
- Will the project really releive traffic in the long term?

 

​Students can do this through the lense of community protests to examine how different groups and individuals perceive how WestConnex (both a consequence of and a response to urbanisation - i.e a response to traffic congestion, the need for transport infrastructure) impacts their community and/or environment. In the previous syllabus there was a lot of scope to do activities such as mock council meetings, mock letters to Members of Parliament, etc. A simple search on Youtube brings up many recorded meetings regarding the project. This is an ideal scenario to use in class to reenact (or participate in) this process.

While NESA/BOSTES has not completed a rewrite of the Civics and Citizenship Australian Curriculum, we can assume it will be relatively similar based on the rewrites of 7-10 History and Geography. In Civics and Citizenship (AC) students examine how citizens participate in direct action and lobbying (Year 8) and how and why individuals and groups participate in and contribute to civic life (Year 9). This provides a perfect example to explore these kinds issues and to build on student knowledge in Civics and Citizenship. 

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​Resources
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Below is a list of links to articles and websites related to WestConnex protests. You will notice that some of these are from media outlets such as Green Left Weekly and Alt Media. In a previous post on WestConnex most of the links I provided were government websites. The two posts together provide a more balanced approach to the issue and any lesson to students should include a range of perspectives and encouraging students to do their own analysis and make their own conclusions.

WestConnex: Protesters clash with Police over 800 tree-deaths

Protesting businesses in Newtown and Enmore stick it to WestConnex

Haberfield homes acquired for building of WestConnex

Three month closure of Ramsay Street Haberfield

Talking WestConnex and Mike Baird ignoring compulsory aquisition reforms

WestConnex private contractors sell items from heritage homes ahead of demolition

Clover Moore supports protesters at 24-hour-a-day camping blockade...

WestConnex protesters arrested as Sydney Park trees come down.

Protesters Clash with WestConnex workers

How the 15.4b WestConnex will affect Sydney residents

Baird's new protest laws used against WestConnex protesters

Protests grow over WestConnex

​Stop WestConnex

WestConnex Action Group