BUDGET BLOW OUT

Prime land to be sold for carpark awning FOR BRIDGE UPGRADE

Continued from page 1
Department of Lands and coun-
cil it was revealed the department
planned to sell half of the carparking
area to Le Montage for an unknown
price.
The owners want to use the land
to build an awning for cars.
Cr Allen said she asked if it were
possible for an arrangement to be
made for Le Montage to build the
awning on the land without owning
it.
“The Minister said he would con-
sider putting a covenant on the land
to prevent future sale for other uses,”
she said.
At November’s ordinary council
meeting, residents in the gallery ex-
pressed concerns that the sale could
mean more development on the fore-
shore site.
The revocation of the land by the
State Government also means that
Leichhardt Council will lose approx-
imately $26,000 each year in income
from the lease.
Cr Allen said that money went to-
wards maintaining the sea wall along
the foreshore, which remains coun-
cil’s financial responsibility.
“The Minister said that if we want
financial assistance to maintain the
sea wall, we will have to apply for
grants each year,” Cr Allen said.
“But the revenue is not the main
thing here, it’s the sale of public land,
taking it into private ownership for-
ever,” she said.
“This is not an isolated example
of the State Government wanting to
take over the leases of land control-
led by councils. It’s their policy, and
it’s about making money.”
Conca D’oro Lounge Pty Ltd and
the Department of Lands did not re-
turn the Village Voice’s calls before
this paper went to press.
Cr Allen said she would report
back to councillors next week about
the meeting, and staff would com-
pile a report with recommendations
on what action should be taken.
Cr Allen said that she believed the
The Department of Lands has
revoked control of the foreshore
crown land opposite Le Montage
from Leichhardt Council and plans to
sell part of it to the function centre.
Department of Lands hoped to have
the sale arranged within a month.
The duplication of the Iron Cove
Bridge and an upgrade of Victoria
Road will cost $150 million, $50
million more than was budgeted by
the State Government before the
March election.
Two designs for duplication of the
bridge, on either the eastern or
western side of the existing bridge,
were announced by Roads Minister
Eric Roozendaal this month.
Changes to traffic lane configurations,
a new city-bound bus lane in peak
times and pedestrian and cyclist
facilities across Iron Cove are also
included in the plans.
Mr Roozendaal said RTA
investigations suggested a new bridge
on the western side of the current
bridge may have lesser impacts and
more benefits for the local community.
Kevin Eadie of lobby group Action for
Public Transport said the government
was ‘locked in the 1950s’ by creating
more roads to deal with peak hour
gridlock, and encouraging more motor
traffic.
The upgrade is expected to be
completed by 2010.

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Village Voice Balmain December 7