The Greens want to know where the ALP really stands on the issue of the giant Moorebank Intermodal.
“The Greens are the only party that has consistently opposed the proposal from the outset, and we won’t put up a pretend fight,” says Greens candidate for Fowler, Bill Cashman.
“The ALP candidates in Fowler and Werriwa have announced in the media this week that they want an independent audit on the impact of the intermodal, despite at least one of them having publicly supported it in the past,’’ Mr Cashman said.
“They’re not just late to the table, but how can they be believed when their own party not only conceived this monster, but has just announced $175 million for infrastructure upgrades to service the facility?
“Their outcry is nothing more than rank populism and they’re selling local people a dummy.”
The Greens acknowledge the need for freight capacity and distribution that goes with the requirements of a modern city, but believe that the scale and location of the Moorebank operation is completely wrong.
“Anyone who thinks that trucks rolling in and out of this location 24/7 won’t affect the local environment and area liveability isn’t seeing the true picture,” Mr Cashman said.
“When combined with the 24/7 freight operations of the airport to be built in Badgerys Creek channeling containers in the other direction, the stress on not just the Moorebank area but the entire south west will be immense and permanent.”
The Greens want a network of smaller facilities on the perimeter of Sydney to distribute the load rather than another gargantuan operation in a suburban area.
“Our proposal involves using Wollongong and Newcastle ports to feed smaller intermodals, rather than concentrating everything on Port Botany and massive suburban distribution centres.
Mr Cashman said that the Moorebank option was simplistic and born of short-term thinking, and despite noise from local MPs from both major parties, the ALP and Liberals are really on a unity ticket to have it built.
“Voters shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that either of the ALP candidates will change the situation. They’re toothless against the will of their own party leaders, and it’s policy for both major parties.
“Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese is on the record saying that the Moorebank complex is right for Sydney, so how can they fight against that?’’
The Greens’ other south west candidates for the July 2 federal election are Ben Moroney in Macarthur and Signe Westerberg in Werriwa.
