Labor locals rise to fight Iron Cove Bridge plan
* Linton Besser Transport Reporter
* April 17, 2009
RANK and file Labor Party members in Balmain are lobbying the party machine to have the $162 million plan to duplicate the Iron Cove Bridge dumped. They fear the scheme will unseat the Education Minister and local MP Verity Firth.
The president of the Balmain branch of the ALP, Frank Breen, said he had organised a meeting with the party's state secretary, Matt Thistlethwaite, to ask him to approach the cabinet and have the project shelved.
He said Ms Firth had organised an ancillary meeting with her cabinet counterpart, the Roads Minister, Michael Daley, so he could express the views of the branch.
Ms Firth holds Balmain by a slim 3.8 per cent margin. In local government elections last year the Greens took 46 per cent of the vote in the Leichhardt council area, which largely overlaps the state seat of Balmain. The ALP won just 25 per cent.
In an email to Mr Thistlethwaite, obtained by the Herald, Mr Breen said branch members had adopted a motion to urge the Government to "withdraw its current proposals for the Iron Cove Bridge".
"I would like to arrange a meeting with you, of representatives from the Balmain and Lilyfield-Rozelle branches to emphasise the political costs and other disadvantages of proceeding with the current Iron Cove Bridge proposal," the March 26 email said. "We believe that the current proposal will have a serious impact on the ability of the party to hold the seat of Balmain. We believe that your representations to the Premier and the Minister for Roads … would lead to the proposal being reconsidered."
Mr Thistlethwaite said he had not made any representations to Nathan Rees, or any other member of the Government, and that he was unaware of the email.
Mr Breen told the Herald he spoke to Mr Thistlethwaite's assistant and arranged to meet on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
"It is a bit inconsistent putting in the metro and doing the road at the same time," he said. "When you look at it in detail, the cost-benefit analysis does not stand up … [and] the branch is concerned about the impact at the next election. Our local member has agreed to arrange to have a meeting with the Roads Minister."
Ms Firth, a member of the Glebe branch, said she supported "increasing public transport into the city and this project is part of that effort".
"I am not going to provide commentary on election results," she said.
The upgrade of Victoria Road has sparked protests since it was announced in 2006. The lobbying of the local branch reflects concerns in the Government about pursuing an unpopular project that has not been integrated with the CBD Metro.
Chaos is expected at Rozelle in the afternoons should the two projects go ahead. At the end of the metro line, thousands will have to get on buses at the busy Darling Street-Victoria Road intersection to continue their journeys home.