RR Phantom
Location : Wasted Space
Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
 |  Subject: OZschwitz: Thieving statists to acquire land by compulsory process if need be  Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:58 am | |
| TWO days after the NSW budget allocated almost $600 million to the controversial CBD Metro, the Government has begun negotiations with business owners to acquire property for the project.
The metro's acting chief executive, Rodd Staples, is scheduled to meet this morning with Pyrmont retailers, whose shops along the historic Union Square are under threat of demolition to make way for the Pyrmont metro stop.
The Herald has obtained a copy of a letter to one business owner, Jose Vieira, which threatens to "acquire land by compulsory process" if he does not agree to sell.
The CBD Metro - seven kilometres of underground rail between Central and Rozelle - has been criticised for its price of between $4.8 billion and $5.3 billion and over forecasts that patronage could initially be as low as 13 per cent of capacity.
Tuesday's budget revealed a $581 million allocation for the project, with the budget papers saying: "The Sydney Metro corporation will focus on the finalisation of the detailed environmental assessment and the design of civil architectural and engineering works."
The papers did not mention money to buy properties but the office of the Minister for Transport, David Campbell, later confirmed to the Herald it would cover the costs of property acquisitions. Although the budget papers say "construction is expected to commence in 2010", the 2009-10 budget has no money for construction, leaving open the possibility of dumping the project by the end of the year.
In its letter to Mr Vieira and his wife Maria, the metro authority says: "It is Sydney Metro's preference to negotiate with you to purchase your property by means of private agreement. However, if a negotiated agreement cannot be reached with you, Sydney Metro has powers to acquire land by compulsory process under the Transport Administration Act 1988."
Kilner Mason, a Pyrmont resident who is advising other local traders, told the Herald that Mr and Mrs Vieira, who had run their cafe for 14 years, had invested large sums in renovating their property to accord with the heritage values of Union Square. The precinct is one of the few low-rise areas in a suburb fast being built out with high-density housing.
Mr Campbell said the Government had already changed the planned Pyrmont station location to protect the historic war memorial and, in an earlier statement, said: "All of Union Square will remain unaffected by construction work for the CBD Metro."
Mr Staples said the metro had "considered a wide range of options in determining the best public transport outcomes for each metro station". He said a local proposal to build the metro stop on the nearby site of a Star City redevelopment was "not complementary".
Business owners in Rozelle, where the final stop is located, are also upset at plans to acquire their properties. Chadi Tahan, who runs a pharmacy with his sister on the corner of Victoria Road and Darling Street, said he had also received a letter saying the metro would move to compulsorily acquire his business.
Mr Tahan said his pharmacy was part of an official heritage preservation area.
"This metro construction will have a dramatic negative impact on the village atmosphere of Rozelle," he said.
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