Inner West demands compensation for WestInvest rort

Thursday 29 February 2024

MEDIA RELEASE

INNER WEST MAYOR DARCY BYRNE

Following the release of the Auditor General’s scathing investigation into $ 5 billion WestInvest fund, Inner West Council, the primary victim of the rort, is calling for the NSW Treasurer and Premier to acknowledge this inequity and compensate our community.

The fund, established with proceeds from the sale of WestConnex, was made available to every Council between the CBD and the Blue Mountains except for one - the Inner West – the one place where WestConnex was built.

This resulted in neighbouring Burwood Council, with a population of just 40,000 people, receiving an astounding $97.5 million while Inner West Council didn’t receive a cent. Another neighbouring Council, Strathfield, with a population of just 46,000 people also received $67.5 million.

This comes on top of the Auditor General’s previous findings that the Inner West Council was improperly prevented from applying for the $252 million Stronger Communities fund, meant to support amalgamated Councils but instead used as a slush fund by the former Government.

Mayor Darcy Byrne said the Inner West has been systematically ripped off and it’s time for the current Treasurer and Premier to acknowledge this rort and deliver compensation and a fairer deal.

"The Inner West, the one place where WestConnex was actually built, was the only Council west of the CBD excluded from applying for WestInvest. It was obvious from the start that this was a rolled gold rort,” said Byrne.

"While our neighbouring councils received hundreds of millions in grants from the sale of WestConnex, all we got is a tunnel to a traffic jam and a suburb full of asbestos mulch."

"The Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey has acknowledged yesterday that WestInvest was a shocking example of pork barrelling but made no mention of the fact that the Inner West was the primary victim.

“The Inner West is still being left out in the cold and it’s time for the new Government to start helping us instead of ignoring the disparity.

“The Inner West was systematically rorted out of grant funding by the previous Government and it's time the Minns Government acknowledged that and gave us a fairer deal.

"For example, Leichhardt Oval has still yet to receive a single cent in state government funding. Surely the 8th wonder of the world is at least as important a public facility as the Canterbury Ice Rink, which received $17 million."

For media enquiries please contact Jonny Browne, Jonny.Browne@innerwest.nsw.gov.au