‘NON-STOP construction, disruption and devastation – and for what?’ asked NSW Upper House candidate Elizabeth Farrelly ‘Adding more cars on already overcrowded roads, more carbon into an already overheated climate and more tolls to the cost-of-living crisis.’ 

‘These tunnel projects need an immediate halt and review. The project plans are a mess, the environmental impacts are too high, the multi-billion cost will simply plunge NSW into more debt and this cost will be passed to on to families and workers already suffering under cost-of-living pressures,’ said Larissa Penn, independent candidate for Willoughby. ‘Sydney is drowning in toll roads — enough is enough. We need to build sustainable and environmentally and fiscally responsible future-focused infrastructure.’ 

Transport on the North Shore and Northern Beaches is a hot button issue for local communities, but many of the Government’s plans don’t seem to have included community consultation or concerns, with community anger running high. 

On Saturday 11 March at Anzac Park, 229 Ernest St Cammeray, Elizabeth Farrelly and fellow independent candidates Helen Conway (North Shore), Larissa Penn (Willoughby), Kristyn Haywood (Wahroonga) and Janine Kitson (Davidson) joined with a large group of concerned locals and community groups to protest: 

• the destruction of trees along the proposed route of the Warringah Freeway 
• the destruction of native flora and fauna habitat, including green corridors 
• the destruction of North Sydney and North Shore heritage, including precious green space 
• the lack of viable, accessible, carbon-free public transport for the Northern Beaches 
• the use of public infrastructure and funds to service private toll roads 
• the proliferation of private toll roads further adding to the cost-of-living crisis 

“Trees aren’t a luxury – they’re the heart and lungs of our local communities. Green space and mature tree canopy are essential to our mental, physical and communal health,” said Helen Conway, Community Independent candidate for North Shore. “We need a government committed to building the sustainable healthy city our communities want and need for the future — with public and active transport networks are prioritised over cars, with stronger protections for retaining existing mature trees, planting more trees of the right species, and protections of our valuable green space.” 

‘It’s time to end the abysmal failure of freeways. They’ve never been “free” — they’re exorbitantly costly and destroy the places we love,’ added Janine Kitson, independent candidate for Davidson. 

All candidates agreed to hold whoever wins Government at the State election on 25 March to account to ensure that communities are heard, and more environmentally- and fiscally-friendly transport options are encouraged in future.