Win for Council and the community in King George Park negotiations
Monday 24 August 2020
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will compensate Inner West Council and the local community $2.875 million for the compulsory acquisition of 2,285sqm of land at King George Park.
As well, Council has successfully negotiated that 72% of the acquired land will be returned to Council by December 2025.
King George Park is one of the Inner West’s most popular sporting grounds used throughout the sporting year by thousands of local football juniors.
The Park is part of a wider recreational Bay Run precinct, patronised by huge numbers of people each day.
In January 2020, TfNSW compulsorily acquired the land to be used for the WestConnex M4-M5 Link project.
TfNSW also acquired a construction lease of 800sqm in the same area. This will also be eventually returned to Council.
As well as successfully seeking adequate compensation, Council negotiated that TfNSW reinstate the land to the pre-acquisition condition.
TfNSW will also pay all of Council’s legal and other costs associated with the litigation.
“We’ve fought hard to win compensation for the community and this funding will go straight back into the neighbourhood, said Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne
“The impacts from WestConnex on residents around King George Park have been horrendous, so improving their quality of life is the priority now.”
Inner West Council has one of the lowest proportions of public open space per person in Sydney.
Council’s legal experts had always argued that every metre of public open space is highly valuable and that the amount of compensation to be paid to Council should reflect that value rather than the nominal amount that TfNSW’s experts recommended.
The State Government’s WestConnex project has disproportionately disadvantaged Inner West residents through compulsory acquisitions, destruction of neighbourhoods, pollution, noise, dust, fumes and odour.
Council encourages all residents to register justifiable complaints.
All registered complaints are required to be investigated.
For more information about the WestConnex project and Council’s actions to advocate for residents and mitigate the impacts of construction and delivery of the WestConnex project, go to www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/WestConnex
For media enquiries, contact Media and Communications Coordinator, 9392 5334 or Elizabeth.Heath@innerwest.nsw.gov.au