Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Action for Public Transport (NSW) Inc. ("APTNSW") is a transport advocacy group active in Sydney since 1974. We promote the interests of beneficiaries of public transport - passengers and the wider community alike.

THE ATLASSIAN DEVELOPMENT

In this project, we are concerned that pedestrian traffic in the precinct has not been adequately catered for. We would say the same about block C (Toga/Adina) and block B (Fraser-Dexus). The cumulative effect of the extra pedestrian traffic consequent on the completion of all three proposals would be unacceptable. Therefore, we don't support Atlassian (or either of the others) proceeding until pedestrian traffic has been provided for.

The lack of a south-west entrance/exit at Central Station has been apparent for many years. Anyone who's had to traipse twice daily through the Devonshire St pedestrian tunnel will tell you it's a bad start and bad ending to the day. There are thousands of people doing this.

When it became known that the southern end of Sydney Metro's new platforms would be only a few metres from the pedestrian tunnel, some of us wondered why no direct connection was to be made. We were told that it was because the Devonshire St tunnel would not be able to handle the extra foot traffic which would result from the metro line opening. Widening the Devonshire St tunnel would take it out of service for some years and hence is not an option.

When Central Walk was announced, we looked at maps and found it was tantalisingly close to old luggage tunnels leading towards Ambulance Avenue. However, Central Walk is to lead eastward towards Chalmers St. Relevant submissions on the Central Walk project are discussed in Chapter 6 of the submissions report on Mod2 of Sydney Metro Chatswood to Sydenham, available at https://majorprojects.accelo.com/public/f3d3d103306c8b426eea1de2ea521106/2017-10-04%20Central%20Walk%20Modification%20Submissions%20Report.pdf.

Many of the submissions, such as that of Eagle Partners which is discussed in section 6.10, describe the advantages of shortening walking distances by connecting metro platforms westward. However, the report on submissions rejects them all. A key reason for rejection is that extending Central Walk westwards would require disrupting rail services progressively from platform 12 to platform 1. This apparently cannot be contemplated until platforms 14 and 13 are returned to service. At present the site of platforms 14 and 13 is a shaft giving access to the new metro platforms which are being constructed many metres below.

We recently asked Sydney Metro when platforms 14 and 13 are likely to be returned to service. The answer was late 2022. Even if a fully funded design for Central Walk West existed by then and construction started immediately and proceeded at a reasonable pace, it is difficult to see how Central Walk West could be in service by 2025 at the earliest.

For the Atlassian development, separating it from the Devonshire St tunnel is simply not an option. Its site is immediately adjacent to the tunnel's southern end. So is the Toga/Adina site. So is the Fraser-Dexus site.

The EIS does not estimate the extra foot-traffic that the Devonshire St tunnel would experience when Atlassian is open. Nor is there any estimate that we have seen covering Toga/Adina and Fraser-Dexus. We strongly suspect that, COVID permitting, the Devonshire St tunnel would experience unacceptable overcrowding if these developments proceeded without Central Walk West.

We submit that the Atlassian development (and the Toga/Adina and Fraser-Dexus developments) should not be open unless and until Central Walk West is in service. The present proposal should not proceed. Instead, the applicant should negotiate with Sydney Metro and/or Transport for NSW and prepare a combined application which includes Central Walk West.