Air pollution in White Bay to continue until at least 2024
Tuesday 22 March 2022
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne is urging the NSW Government to end the decade-long delay and begin work immediately on providing Ship to Shore power for The White Bay Cruise Terminal.
After a ten-year campaign led by Council and local residents, the NSW Government has finally relented and agreed to install shoreline power to ships docked at White Bay.
The fact that the Government has recognised the urgent need to reduce air pollution in White Bay is the good news. The bad news is that White Bay and Balmain residents will continue to suffer until 2024 at the very earliest as the Government has delayed the installation until after the next State Election.
Mayor Darcy Byrne will write to the Premier urging him to stop the delay and begin work as soon as possible.
“The NSW Government has just announced that after years of neglect they will reverse their opposition to ship to shore power at White Bay. Frustratingly, they are saying this will only be delivered in 2024, at the earliest. This ongoing delay is not good enough.
"Thank you to all the residents who have advocated for proper environmental protection in White Bay, unfortunately we will need to keep fighting to force the Government to deliver this overdue improvement immediately.
"I am writing to the Premier and Transport Minister now to call on them to implement ship to shore power immediately, not in two or three years’ time.
"Back in 2019 the Labor opposition made a commitment to providing ship to shore power, sadly the Liberal Government has failed to act ever since,” Darcy Byrne
NSW Shadow Minister for Transport, Jo Haylen said, "David Elliott’s announcement of shore power at White Bay by 2024 will be cold comfort for Balmain residents when cruise ships return on April 17 of this year.
"The Minister is saying that he will deliver shore power after the election, as long as the Western Metro project is on time. However, his government’s woeful record on transport means that many in the community will be sceptical about their promises.”
For further information please contact Jonny Browne at Jonny.Browne@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
or Leon Fry-Kontaxis on 0417 962 370 or Leonidas.Fry-Kontaxis@parliament.nsw.gov.au