It’s been labelled as an “infrastructure disaster” by the local mayor and now the first public hearing is being held today (April 10) as part of an inquiry into the impact of the plagued Rozelle Interchange.
When the Rozelle Interchange opened late last year, road users were greeted by confusion and chaos.
The Rozelle Interchange connects motorists to the M4 and M8 tunnel extensions, Anzac Bridge, the City West Link, the Western Distributor, a toll-free underground bypass of Victoria Road and the future Western Harbour Tunnel.
It took four years of construction before being officially opened on November 25, marking the final piece of the puzzle for the WestConnex project that began in 2015.
Rather than easing congestion though, following the opening traffic in Sydney’s inner west seemingly worsened.
In February, Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne called for a parliamentary inquiry into the Rozelle Interchange and WestConnex.
At the time, he said, the inquiry should investigate “who knew what and when about the design of this infrastructure disaster”.
As the first hearings begin, the committee heard from a range of witnesses local to the interchange and its surrounds, including local MPs, councils and chambers of commerce, as well as community groups.
Committee chair, Cate Faehrmann MLC, said: “We have received a large number of written submissions from the community and various organisations, as well as hundreds of responses to our online questionnaire, reflecting the public interest in this issue. The committee is looking forward to hearing from those impacted by the Rozelle Interchange at its first hearing.”
The hearing will include a public forum where members of the public can share their views.
Greens Member for Balmain Kobi Shetty also weighed in. “This Inquiry is a welcome step after the continuing impacts of months of extensive delays and disruptions following the opening of the Rozelle Interchange,” she said.
“We need this committee inquiry to get to the bottom of how they got the Rozelle Interchange so wrong, and what workable solutions can be put forward to fix this traffic disaster.
“It’s unreasonable for the government to expect our community to continue bearing the brunt of the traffic chaos, particularly after we’ve dealt with years of disruptions during the construction of WestConnex. I hope to see strong findings and recommendations come from this Inquiry, that can be promptly implemented by the government.”